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BX73I5 

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PHILLIPS  BIBLE  INSTITUTE  SERIES 
of  Efficiency  Text-bool^s  for  Bible  Schools  and  Churches 


How  the  Disciples  Began 
and  Grew 


NOV  19 


A  Short  History  of  the  Christian  Church 


By 

M.  mZdAVIS,  A.M. 

Minister  Ross  Aoenue  Christian  Church,  Dallas,  Texas. 
Author  of  "Change  of  Heart;"  "Queen  Esther;" 
"Elijah;"  "First  Principles;"  "The  Elder- 
ship;" "The  Restoration  Movement  of 
the  Nineteenth  Century, ' '  and 
"How  to  be  Saved. " 


Cincinnati 

The  Standard  Publishing  Company 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 


A  Foreword   9 

L 

CAUSES  OF  THE  MOVEMENT. 
Widespread  Working  of  the  Leaven   11 

IL 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  CAMPBELLS. 

Brief  View  of  Thomas  Campbell — Early  Life  of 
Alexander  Campbell — Why  Thomas  Campbell  Came  to 
America — Shipwreck  of  Alexander  Campbell — In  Glas- 
gow University — Preview  of  Alexander  Campbell — Land- 
ing of  Thomas  Campbell  in  America — First  Experiences 
— Independent   Work — Declaration   and   Address — Re- 


union of  Father  and  Son   29 

in. 

DECLARATION  AND  ADDRESS. 

The  Declaration — The  Address — The  Appendix — The 
Two  Phases  of  the  Movement   51 


IV. 

PREPARATORY  WORK. 

Alexander  Campbell's  First  Sermon — Trouble  with 
Pittsburgh  Synod — Change  of  Leaders — Brush  Run 
Church — Points  of  Progress — Marriage  of  Alexander 
Campbell — Settling  the  Baptismal  Question — Other 
Points  of  Progress — Why  Alexander  Campbell  Was  Not 

a  Party  Man   65 

5 


6 


CONTENTS 


V.  PAGE 

INTO  AND  OUT  OF  THE  BAPTIST 
CHURCH. 

Into  the  Baptist  Church — Debates  with  Walker  and 
McCalla — Sermon  on  the  Law — The  Christian  Baptist — 
"Bethany" — Things  Specially  Opposed  by  Mr.  Campbell 
— Millennial  Harbinger — Great  Growth — Walter  Scott — 
Mr.  Campbell  Warning  His  Enemies — Out  of  the  Bap- 
tist Church   83 

VI. 

THE  STONE  MOVEMENT. 

Early  Life  of  Barton  W.  Stone — Religious  Experi- 
ence— Wonderful  Revivals — Withdraws  from  Presby- 
terianism — First  Church  After  New  Testament  Model — 
First  Meeting  of  Stone  and  Campbell — Union  of  the  Two 
Peoples — Differences  Between  Them — Garrison's  Illus- 
tration— Why  the  Stone  Movement  Is  Considered  a 
Tributary  and  Not  the  Main  Stream — Power  of  Love.. .  105 

VII. 

THE  WORK  BROADENING  AND  DEEP- 
ENING. 

Theory  of  Union  Tested — Aylett  Raines — Campbell, 
Stone  and  Errett  on  Faith  and  Opinion — Causes  of 
Gospel  Success — Mr.  Campbell's  Visit  to  the  Old  World.  125 

VIII. 

THREE  GREAT  DEBATES 

Controversy  Unavoidable — Debates  with  Owen,  Pur- 
cell  and  Rice   145 

IX. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

Why  Educational  Interests  Were  Delayed — Bethany 
College — Distinguished  Graduates— Transylvania  Univer- 


CONTENTS  7 

PAGE 

sity— The  Bible  College — Other  Colleges — School  of  Mis- 
sions— Phillips  Bible  Institute — Southern  Christian  Insti- 
tute^— Summary   161 

X. 

MISSIONARY. 


Why  Missions  Were  Delayed — Early  Discussions  on 
the  Subject — American  Christian  Missionary  Society — 
Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions — Foreign  Chris- 
tian Missionary  Society — National  Benevolent  Associa- 
tion— Church  Extension — Ministerial  Relief — England — 
Canada — Australia — Japan — France   177 

XI. 

FOUR  GREAT  LIEUTENANTS. 

Walter  Scott — "Raccoon"  John  Smith — Isaac  Errett— 
John  W.  McGarvey   199 

XII. 

RETROSPECT,  PROSPECT,  DANGERS  AND 
DUTIES. 

Remarkable  Growth — The  Cause  of  It — Twelve  Points 
Emphasized — The  Nineteenth  Century — An  Impressive 
Picture — Four  Dangers — Five  Duties — Military  Picture 
of  Our  Place  and  Duty   227 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/howdisciplesbegaOOdavi_0 


A  FOREWORD 

This  volume  is  in  the  main  a  condensation  of  the 
author's  larger  work,  'The  Restoration  Movement 
of  the  Nineteenth  Century,"  and  its  aim  is  to  meet 
the  wants  of  that  large  class  of  readers  in  this  busy 
age  who  have  persuaded  themselves  that  they  have 
not  the  time  to  read  anything  but  a  condensed  story. 
It  claims  not  to  be  elaborate  or  exhaustive,  but  repre- 
sentative and  reliable.  It  would  bring  out  such  fea- 
tures of  our  history  as  will  give  one  a  good  under- 
standing of  the  most  remarkable  religious  movement 
since  New  Testament  times.  But  it  is  hoped  that 
all  who  can  do  so,  will  also  read  the  larger  book  on 
which  this  one  is  based. 

Each  chapter  is  followed  by  a  number  of  review 
questions  which  will  help  to  rivet  the  principal 
thoughts  in  the  mind  of  the  reader.  Be  sure  to  study 
these  questions ;  and  if  you  find  that  you  can  not 
readily  answer  them,  it  is  evidence  that  you  should 
reread  the  chapter. 

The  author  believes  that  in  all  our  schools  and 
homes  more  time  should  be  given  to  the  study  of 
our  history.  It  is  not  sufficient  to  acquaint  the  stu- 
dent with  church  history  as  a  whole,  but  he  should 
become  familiar  with  our  own  individual  history, 
which  is  more  interesting  than  a  novel,  and  more 
thrilling  than  romance.   He  would  be  a  poor  Ameri- 

9 


10 


A  FOREWORD 


can  who  knew  of  this  favored  land  only  through 
the  world  historian.  He  needs  some  reliable  volume, 
local  in  its  nature. 

Praying  the  blessings  of  the  Father  on  this 
modest  but  earnest  attempt  to  do  good,  we  commit 
it  to  our  readers  in  the  hope  that  it  will  not  only 
increase  light,  but  that  it  will  make  each  one  of 
them  purer  and  stronger  for  the  conflicts  of  life. 


L 

CAUSES  OF  THE  MOVEMENT 


11 


OUTLINE— CHAPTER  I. 

1.  Fundamental  Causes. 

a.  The  Renaissance. 

b.  The  Divided  Church. 

c.  A  Warring  Church. 

d.  Beclouded  Theology. 

e.  Arrogant  Clergy. 
/.  Human  Creeds. 
g.  Rank  Infidelity. 

2.  The  Leaven  at  Work. 

a.  In  the  Old  World. 

b.  In  the  New  World. 

c.  Old  Churches. 


12 


I. 


Causes  of  the  Movement. 


To  understand  any  great  movement  among  men 
we  must  know  the  cause  or  causes  which  produced 
it.  This  is  not  a  world  of  chance.  Every  effect 
has  its  cause.  To  understand  the  French  Revolu- 
tion we  must  go  back  of  that  bloody  conflict  for 
a  starting-point.  We  must  know  that  the  people 
for  generations  had  writhed  and  groaned  under 
the  heavy  heel  of  Bourbon  rule,  and  when  this 
could  be  endured  no  longer  they  rose  in  their 
wrath  and  struck  for  liberty.  The  same  is  true 
of  the  American  Revolution.  The  throwing  of  a 
few  pounds  of  tea  overboard  in  Boston  harbor  was 
not  its  cause,  but  its  dramatic  manifestation.  A 
brave  people,  loyal  and  long-suffering,  had  at  last 
reached  the  limit  of  oppression,  and  this  was  their 
way  of  telling  the  world  about  it.  Even  so,  if  we 
would  understand  the  Restoration  Movement  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  or  read  aright  the  History  of 
the  Disciples,  we  must  go  back  into  the  past  and 
study  its 


medieval  to  the  modern  world,  especially  in  the  re- 
vival of  the  classical  arts  and  letters.    Its  earliest 


x.  Fundamental 
Causes 


Some  of  these  were:  a.  The 
Renaissance,  the  movement  of 
transition  in  Europe   from  the 


13 


14 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


traces  are  found  in  Italy  in  the  fourteenth  century.  A 
hundred  years  later  it  was  greatly  stimulated  by  bring- 
ing into  Italy  the  ancient  literature  of  Greece.  The 
Italian  Renaissance  reached  its  zenith  about  the  first 
of  the  sixteenth  century,  as  seen  in  the  works  of  such 
men  as  Michelangelo,  Leonardo  da  Vinci  and 
Raphael.  It  soon  invaded  Germany  and  England, 
and  filled  the  land  with  light  and  inspiration.  The 
students  of  science,  philosophy  and  religion  began 
to  seek  for  the  sources  of  things.  The  Bible,  long 
a  chained  book  by  order  of  the  Pope,  was  liberated, 
and  its  contents  were  eagerly  and  earnestly  investi- 
gated. The  darkness  of  superstitious  reverence 
was  blown  away  from  it,  and  the  light  of  scientific 
study  was  substituted.  It  became  a  new  book,  not 
only  fanning  the  flames  of  religious  fervor,  but  also 
stimulating  patriotism,  and  the  highest  life  in  the 
individual,  in  the  home  and  in  the  nation. 

Two  fundamental  principles,  invaluable  to  the 
religious  life,  were  enunciated.  The  first  was  the 
right  of  private  judgment.  Every  man  had  the 
right  to  read  the  Bible  for  himself  and  interpret 
it  according  to  his  own  understanding.  The  sec- 
ond was  that  when  the  Book  was  thus  studied,  it 
would  produce  union  among  Christians  as  it  did 
in  the  beginning. 

Perhaps  no  two  notes  were  sounded  oftener 
and  stronger  by  the  Campbells  and  their  colaborers 
than  these.  Christianity,  they  contended,  was  a 
child  of  light.  It  did  not  sneak  into  the  world 
during  some  dark  night  and  by  some  obscure  way, 
but  it  came  in  the  broad  daylight  and  in  the  most 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


15 


public  manner.  Paul,  in  his  great  speech  before 
Agrippa,  said,  "This  thing  was  not  done  in  a 
corner"  (Acts  26:26).  Their  motto,  therefore,  was, 
"Turn  on  the  light." 

b.  The  Divided  Church.  A  second  cause  was 
the  divided  Church.  In  the  light  of  the  Book  these 
men  saw  this  to  be  unnecessary,  unreasonable, 
indefensible,  unscriptural  and  sinful.  They  heard 
their  Lord  praying  for  the  oneness  of  his  Church 
(John  17:11-23):  "Holy  Father,  keep  through  thy 
own  name  those  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  that 
they  may  be  one,  as  we  are."  This  language  was 
too  plain  to  be  misunderstood.  Nothing  short  of 
the  oneness  between  the  Father  and  Son — a  unity 
absolutely  harmonious  and  helpful — would  answer 
this  prayer.  They  also  heard  him  connect  the  sal- 
vation of  the  world  with  this,  saying:  "That  they 
may  be  one  in  us,  that  the  world  may  believe  that 
thou  hast  sent  me." 

If  there  was  not  another  word  in  the  New 
Testament  condemning  division,  this  prayer  would 
be  sufficient;  but  they  found  more.  They  heard 
their  Master  speak  of  other  sheep  that  must  be 
brought:  "That  there  shall  be  one  fold  and  one 
shepherd"  (John  10:16).  They  heard  Paul  (1 
Cor.  1 :  10)  pleading  "that  ye  all  speak  the  same 
thing,  and  that  there  be  no  divisions  among  you." 
They  heard  him  (1  Cor.  3:3)  characterize  their 
divisions  as  "carnal" ;  and  they  heard  his  forcible 
analogy  (1  Cor.  12:12-27),  comparing  the  Church 
to  the  human  body:  "For  as  the  body  is  one,  and 
hath  many  members,  and  all  the  members  of  that 


16 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


one  body,  being  many,  are  one  body;  so  also  is 
Christ." 

They  saw  on  every  hand  that  these  divisions 
were  weakening  the  forces  of  God  and  dissipating 
their  energy.  Instead  of  one  great  army  moving 
granaly  on  to  victory,  as  in  the  apostolic  age,  there 
were  hundreds  of  little  detachments  jealously 
watching  each  other,  rather  than  the  common  foe. 

c.  A  Warring  Church.  A  third  cause  was  in 
the  sad  fact  that  these  divided  sections  were  not 
only  jealous  of  each  other,  but  in  many  cases  they 
were  actually  devouring  one  another.  Instead  of 
being  allies,  they  were  enemies.  Nelson,  just  before 
one  of  his  greatest  victories,  called  two  of  his  cap- 
tains who  hated  each  other,  to  the  flagship,  and 
putting  their  right  hands  in  his  left,  he  pointed  to 
the  opposing  fleet  and  said :  "There  is  the  enemy ; 
you  must  be  friends."  It  is  said  that  during  the 
Mexican  War  a  staff  officer,  admiring  the  courage 
shown  on  a  certain  section  of  the  field,  rode  rapid- 
ly to  General  Taylor  and  called  his  attention  to  it. 
Taylor  immediately  discovered  that  it  was  two 
divisions  of  his  own  army  mowing  each  other 
down,  and  he  shouted  to  the  officer:  "Those  are 
our  own  men  destroying  each  other.  Hurry  down 
there  and  stop  it!"  No  army,  however  brave  and 
patriotic,  could  live  long  under  such  fierce  cross- 
firing  as  existed  in  the  army  of  the  Lord  one 
hundred  years  ago. 

d.  Beclouded  Theology.  Another  cause  was 
the  beclouded  theology  of  the  day.  The  religious 
teachers  were  often  such  as  the  Saviour  described 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


17 


when  he  said  the  blind  were  leading  the  blind  and 
both  would  fall  into  the  ditch.  The  Bible  was  not 
a  systematic  revelation,  but  a  jumble  of  jewels 
thrown  together  without  system  or  order.  The 
different  dispensations  had  never  been  discovered. 
The  Ten  Commandments  and  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  were  both  from  God,  and  their  teachings 
should  be  indiscriminately  applied.  The  same  was 
true  of  Moses  and  Jesus.  Each  was  to  be  heard 
without  reference  to  the  time  and  place  of  speak- 
ing. A  lost  soul  seeking  the  Saviour  was  as  likely 
to  be  referred  to  the  Psalms,  the  Prophets  or  the 
Law  as  to  the  Book  of  Acts.  Man  was  a  machine 
and  conversion  a  miracle.  The  Bible  was  a  "dead 
letter,"  and  the  Holy  "Ghost,"  in  some  miraculous, 
indescribable  and  irresistible  manner,  was  the  author 
of  every  conversion.  Material  sights  and  sounds, 
visions  and  sensations,  dreams  and  experiences, 
were  the  assurance  of  pardon,  rather  than  the  word 
of  God. 

e.  An  Arrogant  Clergy.  An  arrogant  clergy 
was  another  cause.  Most  of  these  men  were  igno- 
rant, and  ignorance  and  arrogance  generally  go 
hand  in  hand.  They  had  taken  away  the  key  of 
knowledge,  and  would  increase  the  chasm  between 
themselves  and  the  common  masses.  They  stood 
upon  stilts,  and  would-  have  the  world  look  up  to 
them.  "God  made  men,"  said  Mr.  Campbell;  "the 
priests  make  laymen."  They  stood  in  the  way  of 
every  reformation ;  they  were  the  chief  causes  of 
the  divided  condition  of  the   Church;   and  they 

lorded  it  over  God's  heritage,  and  assumed  the 
2 


18 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


right  of  legislation  for  those  in  the  pew.  As  Eli- 
jah found  it  impossible  to  redeem  Israel  from 
idolatry  so  long  as  the  priesthood  of  Baal  ruled, 
so  these  men  looked  upon  the  restoration  of 
primitive  Christianity  as  an  impossibility  until  the 
power  of  the  modern  clergy  was  broken.  There 
were  many  exceptions  to  this  rule — men  as  pure 
and  noble  as  ever  lived — but  they  were  excep- 
tions. 

/.  Human  Creeds.  The  tyranny  of  human 
creeds  was  a  sixth  cause.  They  are  comparatively 
harmless  to-day,  but  not  so  a  century  ago.  Then 
they  were  found  everywhere,  and  they  were  as 
rigid  as  rods  of  iron.  No  man,  whatever  his  char- 
acter, could  enter  the  Church  without  accepting 
their  every  detail.  Within  their  sacred  enclosure 
all  truth  was  to  be  found,  and  therefore  the  min- 
ister was  to  be  simply  an  automaton,  or  hand-organ, 
echoing  the  thoughts  of  others  rather  than  his  own. 
Independent  research,  and  the  avowal  of  new  truth 
thus  found,  were  condemned.  Each  creed  was  an 
iron  bed,  and  the  preacher  was  made  to  fit  it.  If 
too  long,  he  was  shortened,  and  if  too  short,  he 
was  lengthened.  The  bed  was  greater  than  the 
man. 

Such  a  claim  was  repulsive  for  another  reason — 
it  implied  that  the  truth  needed  artificial  support. 
Half-truths  need  human  help,  but  the  pure  truth, 
as  spoken  by  God,  can  stand  alone.  The  Master 
asked  no  protection  for  it,  but  cast  it  forth  as  an 
angel  from  the  skies,  capable  of  caring  for  itself 
amid  all  conditions.    Even  the  true  scientist  asks 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


19 


not  the  protection  of  men  for  his  discoveries.  He 
knows  that 

"Truth,  crushed  to  earth,  shall  rise  again; 
The  eternal  years  of  God  are  hers; 
But  Error,  wounded,  writhes  in  pain, 
And  dies  among  his  worshipers." 

Creeds  had  destroyed  the  unity  of  the  Church, 
and  now  they  would  have  to  be  destroyed  in  order 
to  the  restoration  of  that  unity. 

g.  Infidelity.  Rank  infidelity  was  the  last 
cause  we  mention.  The  beginning  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  was  a  period  of  blatant  unbelief  not 
far  from  atheism.  The  skepticism  of  Europe  had 
taken  firm  root  both  at  home  and  in  America.  The 
Revolutionary  War  and  the  French  Revolution  con- 
tributed largely  to  this  result.  The  lifelessness  of 
the  Church  was  also  a  large  contributor.  The 
pagan  world  was  in  densest  darkness,  and  there  was 
no  adequate  effort  to  send  thither  the  gospel.  In 
our  own  land  the  star  of  empire  was  moving 
rapidly  westward,  but  the  church  and  schoolhouse 
were  not  found  in  these  border  settlements.  Un- 
belief was  aggressive  and  reckless.  The  Legisla- 
ture of  Connecticut  in  1741  declared  against  the 
work  of  the  religious  evangelist;  Thomas  Paine 
was  an  idol,  and  his  flimsy  arguments  against  the 
Christ  were  almost  universally  accepted.  In  Yale 
University  there  were  two  Paine  societies,  and  less 
than  a  half-dozen  Christians.  The  College  of  Wil- 
liam and  Mary,  Bowdoin  College  and  Transylvania 
University  were  little  better. 

Here  is  a  sample  of  the  underlying  causes 


20 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


leading  to  the  Restoration  Movement,  and  surely 
they  not  only  justify,  but  demand,  the  movement. 


years  ago.  Astronomers  had  noticed  that  Uranus 
was  being  disturbed  by  some  power,  but  they 
knew  not  what  it  was,  and  many  of  them  set  to 
work  to  locate  it.  Two  of  them — Adams,  of  Eng- 
land, and  Lever rier,  of  France,  each  ignorant  of 
the  other's  purpose,  entered  their  laboratories  and 
began  investigations.  About  the  same  time  they 
located  the  place  of  the  trouble,  and,  pointing  their 
telescopes  to  the  place,  Neptune  was  discovered  as 
the  disturbing  element. 

About  the  time  of  the  dawning  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  all  could  see  that  the  religious  world 
was  sadly  troubled.  The  Church  had  well-nigh 
lost  her  power,  and  her  progress  had  been  ar- 
rested. Dark  clouds  overhung  the  heavens,  and 
hope  fled  from  the  hearts  of  many.  Good  men 
saw  there  was  something  terribly  wrong,  but  they 
knew  not  what  it  was.  Moved  by  a  single  impulse, 
a  desire  to  discover  and  remedy  the  wrong,  they 
began  their  investigations.  In  many  cases  they 
were  far  removed  from  each  other,  ignorant  of 
the  feelings,  purposes  and  labors  of  the  others.  But 
one  by  one  they  located  the  trouble  in  the  divided 
condition  of  Christendom,  with  its  attendant  evils, 
and  they  began  the  work  of  its  removal. 

a.  In  the  Old  World.  In  the  Old  World  the 
Haldane  brothers,  two  of  God's  noblemen,  inaugu- 


2.  The  Leaven  at 
Work 


The  discovery  of  the  planet 
Neptune  is  a  good  illustration  of 
the  religious  unrest  one  hundred 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


21 


rated  a  movement  of  power  and  promise,  but,  as 
men  count  success,  it  was  a  failure.  But,  as  God 
counts  it,  it  was  a  success.  They  demonstrated 
the  weakness  and  wickedness  of  division,  and 
pointed  out  the  only  remedy:  a  return  to  apostolic 
Christianity.  God  wanted  them  for  sowers,  not 
reapers.  The  old  soil  where  they  lived  and  labored 
was  too  much  preoccupied  for  the  seed  to  take 
ready  root.  But  it  was  not  lost,  but  was  trans- 
ferred by  the  Campbells  to  the  virgin  soil  of  the 
New  World,  where  it  has  already  grown  into 
greatness,  and  yet  seems  only  in  its  infancy. 

Thomas  Campbell  had  much  the  same  experi- 
ence with  the  Presbyterians  that  the  Haldanes  had 
with  the  Church  of  Scotland.  Like  them,  he 
located  the  hurt  of  Zion  in  her  divided  condition, 
and  with  all  his  power  he  strove  for  her  union. 
To  a  man  with  his  clearness  of  vision  and  gentle- 
ness of  spirit,  divisions  in  the  family  of  God  were 
almost  unbearable.  Especially  was  this  true  when 
carried  to  the  ridiculous  extremes  which  he  wit- 
nessed. Andrew  Hunter,  one  of  his  brethren,  con- 
tracted to  build  a  church  house  in  Glasgow  for 
the  Episcopalians.  He  was  warned  by  the  dig- 
nitaries of  his  church  not  to  do  it,  but  he  would 
not  heed  the  warning.  Charges  were  preferred 
against  him  and  he  was  brought  before  the  synod 
and  condemned,  that  dignified  body  holding  that 
the  building  of  an  Episcopal  meeting-house  was 
the  same  as  the  building  of  the  "high  places" 
(places  of  idol- worship)  of  the  Old  Testament. 
They  also  excommunicated  a  man  for  going  to 


22 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


hear  James  Haldane  and  Rowland  Hill  preach. 

There  were  four  different  bodies  of  Presby- 
terians, all  holding  to  the  Westminster  Confession. 
Mr.  Campbell  was  greatly  grieved  at  this,  and  in 
1804,  just  at  the  time  when  Barton  W.  Stone  in 
America  was  turning  away  from  sectarian  divisions 
and  organizing  churches  according  to  the  New 
Testament  model,  it  looked  as  though  they  would 
unite.  His  influence  locally  was  so  great  that  all 
opposition  was  overcome,  and  the  lower  synod 
voted  for  union.  But  when  it  reached  the  General 
Associate  Synod  of  Scotland,  it  was  condemned, 
and  had  to  be  abandoned.  But,  as  with  the  Hal- 
danes,  his  labors  were  not  lost.  Sixteen  years 
later,  long  after  the  Campbells  had  renounced 
denominationalism  and  were  laboring  for  Christian 
union  in  the  New  World,  success  came. 

b.  In  the  New  World.  Let  us  now  cross  the 
Atlantic  and  note  the  working  of  the  leaven  here 
where  the  great  struggle  is  to  take  place.  We  find 
it  in  widely  separated  regions,  and  often  among 
antagonistic  bodies,  and  led  by  men  utterly  ignorant 
of  similar  movements  elsewhere.  The  spirit  mani- 
fested itself  among  the  Methodists  at  the  time  of 
the  declaration  of  American  independence.  These 
people,  now  under  a  different  system  of  political 
government,  naturally  began  anew  the  study  of 
church  government.  Thomas  Coke  and  Francis 
Asbury  led  in  the  plea  for  a  prelacy,  they  being 
regarded  as  "superintendents"  or  bishops.  But  a 
counter  movement,  led  by  James  O'Kelly,  favored 
the  Congregational  form  of  government,  with  the 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


23 


New  Testament  as  the  only  book  of  discipline.  But 
the  Episcopal  party  was  so  strong  that  O'Kelly  and 
his  followers  felt  justified  in  withdrawing.  On 
Christmas  Day,  1793,  at  Manakin  Town,  North 
Carolina,  the  secession  took  place.  At  first  they 
called  themselves  "Republican  Methodists";  but 
later  they  adopted  the  name  "Christian,''  and 
resolved  to  acknowledge  Christ  as  the  only  head 
of  the  Church,  and  the  Bible  as  the  only  rule  of 
faith  and  practice.  Judged  by  numbers,  the  O'Kelly 
movement  was  not  a  large  success.  But  their 
principles,  being  true,  still  live  in  the  lives  of  many. 

Soon  after  this  the  leaven  was  seen  in  the  Bap- 
tist Church.  Dr.  Abner  Jones,  of  Hartland,  Connec- 
ticut, tiring  of  human  names  and  creeds,  began  to 
urge  with  great  zeal  that  all  such  things  be  aban- 
doned, and  that  the  people  return  to  the  simple 
life  of  New  Testament  Christianity.  During  the 
years  1800-1803,  he  established  congregations  at 
Lyndon,  Vermont,  and  Bradford  and  Pierpoint, 
New  Hampshire.  The  work  grew  and  spread 
among  both  the  Regular  and  Freewill  Baptists  until 
it  was  seen  in  New  England,  New  York,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Ohio,  and  in  the  British  Provinces.  They 
would  have  no  name  but  Christian,  and  no  law  but 
that  of  the  Bible. 

The  largest  and  most  important  of  these  move- 
ments was  led  by  Barton  W.  Stone,  a  Presbyterian 
preacher  of  Kentucky,  of  whose  work  we  shall  speak 
more  fully  later.  Mr.  Stone  was  a  man  of  strong 
mind  and  clean  heart,  and  his  following  was  large 
numerically,  and  influential.    He  saw  the  cause  of 


24 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


his  Master  suffering,  and  he  believed  the  remedy- 
was  in  a  return  to  primitive  Christianity.  As  early 
as  in  1804  there  were  many  congregations — notably 
at  Caneridge  and  Concord — and  a  constantly  widen- 
ing influence  extended  over  other  States.  They 
would  wear  no  name  but  the  name  of  Christ,  and 
would  accept  no  book  of  discipline  but  the  Bible. 
When  this  people  later  united  with  the  followers 
of  Mr.  Campbell,  both  were  benefited,  and  God 
greatly  blessed  the  union. 

c.  Old  Churches.  There  is  another  line  of 
evidence  showing  the  presence  and  power  of  this 
leaven,  which,  though  peculiarly  interesting  and 
important,  is  not  generally  known.  It  is  in  the 
history  of  old  churches  in  America,  Scotland,  Ire- 
land, Wales  and  England,  endeavoring  to  follow 
the  model  of  the  New  Testament  Church.  In  1818 
the  church  of  Christ  in  New  York,  one  of  whose 
elders  was  Henry  Errett,  father  of  Isaac  Errett, 
hearing  of  other  churches  striving  for  the  divine 
model,  issued  a  circular  letter  and  sent  to  them, 
asking  for  fuller  knowledge  regarding  their  history, 
and  a  closer  fellowship  in  their  work.  This  New 
York  church  still  exists,  and  is  now  known  as  the 
West  Fifty-sixth  Street  Church  of  the  Disciples. 

The  church  of  Christ  meeting  in  Morrison's 
Court,  Glasgow,  responded  with  the  information 
that  "such  churches  as  ours  have  existed  in  Scot- 
land from  thirty  to  forty  years."  This  takes  us 
back  to  1778,  or  to  the  time  of  the  American 
Revolution.  This  church  is  probably  of  Scotch- 
Baptist  origin,  and  it  antedates  the  Haldanes. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


25 


From  the  church  of  Christ  worshiping  at  Leith 
Walk,  Edinburgh,  the  correspondent  said:  "It  is 
about  twenty  years  since  we  were  first  associated 
together."  This  takes  us  back  to  1798.  This  was 
J.  A.  Haldane's  famous  congregation,  the  remains 
of  the  old  Independent  church  which  had  moved 
to  Leith  Walk. 

The  reply  from  Tubemore,  Ireland,  showed 
that  they  were  organized  in  1807.  This  was  the 
spiritual  home  of  Alexander  Carson. 

The  churches  at  Manchester  and  Dublin  were 
established  in  1810. 

The  church  at  Criccieth,  North  Wales,  was  in 
existence  in  1795,  the  date  of  its  earliest  records. 
But  it  is  known  to  be  several  years  older  than  this. 
It  was  a  Baptist  congregation.  About  this  time 
there  was  a  desire  among  some  of  these  Baptists 
to  adhere  more  closely  to  the  New  Testament  faith 
and  practice.  J.  R.  Jones,  the  leader  of  this  move- 
ment, was  a  man  of  ability.  In  1799  several  con- 
gregations, including  Criccieth,  withdrew  from  the 
Association,  and  from  that  time  till  1841  they  were 
associated  with  the  Reformed  Baptists,  now  known 
as  Scotch  Baptists.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Jones 
in  1822,  David  Lloyd,  father  of  Richard  Lloyd,  be- 
came its  minister,  and  he,  in  turn,  was  succeeded 
by  William  Jones,  another  strong  man.  Mr.  Jones 
came  under  the  influence  of  Alexander  Campbell's 
writings,  with  the  result  that  in  1841  the  church 
left  the  Scotch  Baptists,  discarding  all  human 
creeds  and  names,  and  took  its  place  with  the 
Restoration  Movement  of  the  nineteenth  century. 


26 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


For  many  years  Richard  Lloyd,  a  gifted  and  faith- 
ful preacher  of  the  ancient  gospel,  has  been  the 
minister  at  Criccieth.  And  his  nephew  and  foster- 
son,  David  Lloyd  George,  Chancellor  of  the  Ex- 
chequer of  Great  Britain,  one  of  the  most  power- 
ful men  of  the  world,  is  a  member  of  this  congrega- 
tion. By  many  he  is  regarded  as  the  highest 
embodiment  of  Christian  civilization  on  the  face  of 
the  whole  earth.  Speaking  of  the  principles  by 
which  his  wonderful  influence  has  been  attained, 
he  says:  "A  very  large  part  of  the  economic  and 
social  principles  I  am  pressing  upon  the  English 
people  I  obtained  from  reading  the  writings  of 
Alexander  Campbell."  And  yet  we  have  some 
young  men,  unknown  outside  of  a  very  narrow 
circle,  who  boast  of  having  never  read  the  works 
of  Mr.  Campbell. 

These  churches  were  ideal  in  their  aim,  if  not 
in  their  attainments.  They  believed  that  the  only 
way  to  restore  the  lost  power  of  the  New  Testament 
Church  was  to  reproduce  that  Church  in  the  present 
day.  They  were  mainly  independent  in  origin,  and 
they  had  little  fellowship  with  each  other.  Messen- 
gers occasionally  passed  from  one  to  another,  but 
there  was  no  general  organization.  But  the  fact 
that  each  was  trying  to  restore  the  primitive  faith 
according  to  the  light  of  the  Book  brought  them 
into  substantial  agreement.  By  invitation  Mr. 
Campbell  visited  them  in  1848,  and  was  cordially 
received ;  and  as  a  result  they  have  since  had  a 
closer  fellowship  with  each  other,  and  with  their 
brethren  in  America. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


27 


We  see  that  the  religious  world  was  ripe  for 
the  work  of  this  great  Restoration  Movement.  Like 
our  Christ,  it  came  in  the  fullness  of  time.  All 
over  the  land  pious  men  located  both  the  evil  and 
the  remedy,  and  they  did  what  they  could  to  stay 
the  ruin  resulting  from  a  divided  Church.  But  for 
the  most  part  they  consisted  of  small  companies 
remote  from  each  other,  and  with  no  magnetic 
leader  to  mass  them  into  one  solid  army  and  lead 
them  to  victory.  Surely  God  will  supply  that 
leader.  When  poor  Israel,  groaning  in  the  bondage 
of  Egypt,  needed  such  a  leader,  Moses  was  called. 
When  the  unfinished  work  of  Moses  was  to  be 
completed,  Joshua  appeared.  When  the  altars  of 
Jehovah  had  been  torn  down,  Elijah  came.  When 
the  secret  plot  of  Haman  to  destroy  the  Jewish 
people  in  a  single  day  was  about  to  be  consum- 
mated, Esther  brought  deliverance.  When  the 
people  needed  to  be  aroused  for  the  coming  of  the 
King,  John  the  Baptist,  in  trumpet  tones,  awoke 
the  consciences  of  the  multitudes.  When  Popery, 
drunk  on  the  blood  of  the  saints,  chained  the 
Bible,  and  held  the  people  in  densest  darkness,  then 
Luther,  the  lion-hearted,  proved  to  be  the  man  of 
destiny.  And  when  the  Church,  cold  and  formal, 
had  lost  her  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  men,  Wesley 
appeared.  And  now,  in  this  great  emergency,  his- 
tory must  repeat  itself,  for  God  still  lives  and  loves, 
and  his  ears  are  open  to  the  cries  of  his  children. 
Another  leader  is  needed,  and  he  is  found  in  the 
person  of  Alexander  Campbell,  a  worthy  associate 
of  these  illustrious  predecessors. 


28    HOW  THE  DISCIPLES  BEGAN  AND  GREW 


Questions. 

1.  What  is  necessary  to  the  understanding  of 
great  results? 

2.  Name  seven  fundamental  causes  back  of  the 
Restoration  Movement. 

3.  Illustrate  the  religious  unrest  one  hundred 
years  ago. 

4.  What  of  the  work  of  the  Haldanes? 

5.  What  of  the  work  of  Thomas  Campbell? 

6.  What  of  the  work  among  religionists  of 
America  ? 

7.  What  of  the  work  among  some  of  the  old 
churches  of  America  and  Europe? 

8.  What  of  David  Lloyd  George? 

9.  What  of  history  repeating  itself? 


II. 

EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE 
CAMPBELLS 


2<J 


OUTLINE— CHAPTER  II. 


1.  In  the  Old  World. 

a.  Leaders  Needed. 

b.  Greatness  of  Thomas  Campbell. 

c.  Birth  of  Thomas  Campbell. 

d.  Birth  of  Alexander  Campbell. 

e.  Early  Life  of  A.  Campbell. 
Conversion  of  A.  Campbell. 

g.  Shipwreck. 

h.  Glasgow  University. 

i.  Preview  of  A.  Campbell. 

2.  In  the  New  World. 

a.  A  Parallel. 

b.  First  Work  of  T.  Campbell. 

c.  First  Trouble. 

d.  Mighty  Slogan. 

e.  Forward  Stride. 

/.  Declaration  and  Address. 
g.  Family  Reunited. 


30 


II. 


Early  History  of  the  Campbells. 

In  the  first  chapter  we  saw  clearly  that  this 
movement  was  of  God.  It  was  providential.  The 
Bible  tells  us  that  Jehovah  created  the  earth,  but 
the  newspapers  tell  us  how  he  governs  it.  His 
hand  is  always  on  the  helm.  When  great  things 
need  to  be  done,  he  sees  that  they  are  done.  When 
his  people,  looking  largely  to  human  wisdom  for 
guidance,  rather  than  to  the  Bible,  had  divided  and 
subdivided  and  were  on  the  verge  of  ruin,  he  saw 
to  it  that  in  many  places  good  men  with  one  voice, 
clear  and  strong,  raised  the  cry,  "Back  to  the 


leaders.  Truth,  great  as  it  is,  must  become  in- 
carnate in  order  to  the  greatest  good.  The  Sermon 
on  the  Mount  found  its  greatest  vitality,  not  in 
its  utterance,  but  in  its  Author.  Its  greatest  truths 
incarnated  in  his  sinless  life  are  unanswerable  and 
irresistible.  What  would  the  Ten  Commandments 
have  been  without  the  leadership  of  Moses?  What 
would  the  ninety-five  theses  nailed  on  the  church 
door  at  Wittemberg  have  been  but  for  Luther's 
leadership?    And  what  can  come  of  this  almost 


Bible !" 


i.  In  the  Old 
World 


a.  Leaders  Needed.  But  it 
is  not  enough  to  have  a  great 
cause.    There  must  also  be  great 


31 


32 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


universal  cry  for  a  return  to  New  Testament  truth, 
except  we  have  a  leader?  It  must  come  to  naught, 
and  so  the  Lord  sees  that  we  have  him. 

Thomas  Campbell  was  not  the  leader,  but  his 
son.  Alexander,  was.  But  the  father  was  the 
original  mover,  and  it  was  his  mission  to  have 
all  things  ready  for  his  son  when  that  son  was 
ready  to  assume  the  leadership.  It  often  happens 
that  the  man  who  discovers  a  new  principle,  or 
makes  a  valuable  invention,  is  not  the  man  to  turn 
it  to  practical  good.  It  is  usual  in  war  for  the 
cavalry  to  bring  on  the  battle,  but  the  infantry  and 
artillery  do  the  main  fighting.  David  gathered  the 
material  for  the  temple,  but  his  son  Solomon  erected 
the  building. 

b.  Greatness  of  Thomas  Campbell.  Thomas 
Campbell  was  eminently  fitted  for  the  work  to  which 
God  called  him.  His  strong  mind,  his  kind  heart, 
his  love  of  peace,  his  reverence  for  the  word  of 
God,  his  liberal  culture.,  his  sorrow  over  the  evils 
of  division,  and  his  experience  in  the  work  of 
union  both  in  the  Old  World  and  in  the  New, 
were  elements  of  this  fitness. 

He,  because  of  the  greatness  of  his  son,  is 
liable  to  be  underestimated.  In  fact,  it  has  been 
said  that  he  "was  eclipsed  by  his  son."  This 
gifted  son,  with  few  equals  and  no  superiors  among 
men,  was  richly  endowed  with  the  powers  of  argu- 
ment and  oratory.  But  in  intellectual  insight  and 
originality  he  was  perhaps  not  superior  to  his 
father.  God  meant  them  to  supplement  each  other 
perfectly,  and  the  one  without  the  other  could  not 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


33 


have  succeeded  as  they  did.  The  father  blazed 
the  way  over  which  the  son  traveled  to  fame  and 
laid  the  foundation  on  which  the  son  built  so  wise- 
ly and  well,  hence  they  are  in  no  sense  rivals,  any 
more  than  were  Luther  and  Melancthon,  or  Moses 
and  Joshua.  Joshua  could  not  have  led  Israel  into 
Canaan  had  not  Moses  first  brought  them  out  of 
Egypt  and  through  the  wilderness. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  father's  strength,  let 
it  be  remembered  that  it  was  he  who  wrote  the 
"Declaration  and  Address,"  one  of  the  strongest 
papers  of  the  religious  world  since  the  apostolic 
age.  It  was  he  who  sounded  the  great  war-cries, 
so  thrilling  and  so  useful  in  this  work:  "Where 
the  Bible  speaks,  we  speak;  and  where  the  Bible 
is  silent,  we  are  silent."  "A  thus  saith  the  Lord, 
either  in  express  terms,  or  by  approved  precedent, 
for  every  article  of  faith  and  item  of  religious 
practice."  "Nothing  ought  to  be  received  into  the 
faith  or  worship  of  the  church,  or  be  made  a  test 
of  communion  among  Christians,  that  is  not  as 
old  as  the  New  Testament."  "The  restoration  of 
primitive  Christianity,  in  its  doctrine,  its  ordinances 
and  its  practice."  These  mighty  slogans,  which 
could  come  from  no  ordinary  mind,  are  from  the 
head  and  heart  of  Thomas  Campbell. 

c.  Birth  of  Thomas  Campbell.  Thomas 
Campbell  was  born  in  County  Down,  Ireland,  Feb- 
ruary 1,  1763,  and  died  in  Bethany,  Virginia,  Janu- 
ary 1,  1854.  His  ancestors  were  from  western  Scot- 
land, and  belonged  to  the  famous  Campbells  of 
Argyleshire.    In  June,  1787,  when  in  his  twenty- 

3 


34 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


fourth  year,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Jane  Corneigle, 
a  descendant  of  the  French  Huguenots,  a  beautiful 
woman,  and  richly  endowed  with  the  spirit  of  her 
noble  ancestry.  Her  distinguished  son,  speaking 
of  her  near  the  close  of  his  life,  said  that  she  more 
nearly  represented  his  ideal  of  a  Christian  wife  and 
mother  than  any  other  woman  he  ever  saw. 

d.  Birth  of  Alexander  Campbell.  Alexander 
Campbell  was  born  near  Shane's  Castle,  County 
Antrim,  Ireland,  September  12,  1798,  and  died 
in  Bethany,  Virginia,  March  4,  1866.  His  boy- 
hood was  spent  on  a  farm  near  Armagh,  Rich 
Hill  and  Newry,  when  his  father  preached  for  the 
church  at  Ahorey.  It  was  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful places  in  Ireland,  so  much  so  that  when 
William  the  Third,  advancing  on  Boyne,  came 
near  Newry,  he  was  so  impressed  with  the  scenery 
that  he  exclaimed  to  his  officers,  "This  is  a  country 
worth  fighting  for." 

e.  Early  Life  of  A.  Campbell.  Young 
Campbell  had  the  best  possible  school  advantages 
while  the  foundation  of  his  education  was  being 
laid.  He  was  first  in  a  primary  school  at  Market 
Hill,  and  next  in  an  academy  at  Ahorey,  conducted 
by  his  uncles,  Archibald  and  Enos  Campbell.  After 
this  he  returned  home,  and  his  father  took  charge 
of  his  education.  Like  James  Mill,  who  was  the 
teacher  of  his  great  son,  John  Stuart  Mill,  Thomas 
Campbell  was  in  the  main  the  educator  of  his 
famous  son. 

But  the  boy  became  tired  of  school  and  chafed 
under  its  restraints.    He  longed  for  outdoor  life, 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


35 


with  its  rugged  but  life-making  sports;  in  fact,  his 
intellectual  powers  did  not  manifest  themselves 
early.  On  one  occasion,  when  the  weather  was 
warm,  he  sought  the  shade  of  a  tree  in  which  to 
prepare  his  French  lesson  on  "The  Adventures  of 
Telemachus."  He  fell  asleep  and  dropped  his 
book,  and  a  hungry  cow,  browsing  near,  devoured 
it.  He  was  sharply  reprimanded  by  his  father,  and 
was  told  that  "the  cow  had  more  French  in  her 
stomach  than  he  had  in  his  head,"  a  fact  which 
he  could  not  deny. 

His  wise  father  diagnosed  his  case  correctly, 
and  applied  the  right  remedy.  He  saw  that  the 
physical  wants  of  his  son  were  asserting  themselves, 
and  took  away  his  books  and  gave  him  a  plow. 
He  needed  a  strong  body  through  which  his  mas- 
sive brain  could  work,  and  the  farm,  the  best 
gymnasium  in  the  world,  was  at  hand.  He  knew 
that  a  strong  rower  must  have  a  strong  boat.  Her- 
cules in  a  frail  craft  would  only  hasten  its  destruc- 
tion by  the  force  of  his  strokes. 

The  father  anxiously  watched  the  experiment, 
for  he  did  not  want  his  son  to  be  a  farmer;  and 
when  he  was  sixteen  he  rejoiced  to  detect  in  his 
broad-shouldered,  deep-chested  boy  an  awakening 
thirst  for  books,  and  he  was  sent  back  to  them. 
These  he  devoured  with  avidity,  saying  that  he  was 
determined  to  become  "one  of  the  best  scholars  in 
the  kingdom." 

About  this  time  the  father  left  the  farm  and 
established  a  high-grade  academy  at  Rich  Hill. 
Here  Alexander  perfected  his  English  studies,  and 


36 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


did  such  work  in  Latin  and  Greek  as  was  neces- 
sary for  matriculation  in  the  university.  His  prog- 
ress was  so  rapid  that  he  was  soon  made  assistant 
teacher  in  the  school. 

/.  Conversion  of  A.  Campbell.  Young  Camp- 
bell became  a  Christian  while  at  Ahorey,  but  it 
was  with  great  agony  of  spirit.  He  was  under  the 
influence  of  the  prevailing  theology  of  the  day, 
and  thought  his  conversion  would  be  accompanied 
by  some  strange  material  manifestation  in  vision, 
voice  or  sensation,  as  evidence  of  his  acceptance 
by  the  Lord.  His  despondency  and  anxiety  con- 
tinued for  quite  awhile.  He  was  often  alone  in 
prayer.  But  finally  he  determined  to  cast  these 
things  aside  and  do  what  the  Bible  said,  and  trust 
implicitly  in  its  promises.  "From  the  moment  I 
was  able  to  feel  this  reliance  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,,,  he  said,  "I  obtained  and  enjoyed  peace  of 
mind."  This  bitter  experience  was  invaluable  to 
him  in  after  years,  for  God  designed  that  he  should 
flood  the  world  with  light  on  the  subject  of  con- 
version, and  he  was  now  impressing  him  with  the 
importance  of  the  work,  and  showing  him  how 
to  do  it. 

g.  Shipwreck.  Thomas  Campbell,  on  account 
of  failing  health,  was  sent  on  a  voyage  to  America 
for  rest  and  recuperation.  Alexander,  though  only 
nineteen  years  of  age,  was  left  in  charge  of  the 
school  and  family.  The  father,  pleased  with  Ameri- 
ca, requested  the  family  to  join  him,  and  they 
would  make  their  home  there.  But  the  vessel  bear- 
ing them  was  wrecked,  and  it  looked  as  if  all  was 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


37 


lost.  Signals  of  distress  were  unanswered,  and 
all  expected  death  at  any  moment.  In  this  awful 
hour  the  future  of  Alexander  Campbell  was  shaped. 
Having  done  all  in  his  power  for  the  safety  of  the 
family,  he  sat  down  on  a  piece  of  the  broken  ship 
and  abandoned  himself  to  reflection.  In  the  solemn 
presence  of  death,  life  assumed  a  new  meaning,  and 
he  promised  God  that  if  saved  he  would  devote 
himself  wholly  to  his  service,  and  spend  his  life 
in  the  preaching  of  the  Word. 

h.  Glasgow  University.  It  was  late  in  the 
year,  and  sea-voyaging  was  dangerous,  and  it  was 
decided  to  remain  in  Scotland  till  the  next  year, 
thus  giving  Mr.  Campbell  the  long-wished-for 
opportunity  of  completing  his  studies  in  the  famous 
University  of  Glasgow.  God  was  leading  him,  as 
he  had  led  Moses,  in  a  strange  way.  He  needed 
the  touch  of  this  great  school  to  equip  him  for  his 
glorious  mission,  as  Moses  needed  the  education 
of  Egypt,  and  God  saw  that  he  got  it. 

The  new  environment  was  full  of  inspiration, 
and  it  aroused  the  ambitious  young  student  and  put 
him  at  his  best.  Glasgow  was  a  great  city  for  that 
day — '114,000 — and  was  hoary  with  age,  and  rich 
in  the  records  of  twelve  centuries.  To  a  young 
man  who  knew  only  rural  and  village  life,  this 
meant  much.  The  school  was  large — fifteen  hun- 
dred students — and  the  alma  mater  of  his  father. 
Some  of  the  old  Faculty  still  remained,  and 
teachers  of  the  father  became  teachers  of  the  son. 
No  wonder  that  Mr.  Campbell,  physically  strong 
and  quivering  with  holy  ambition,  made  wonderful 


38 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


progress  in  his  studies.  He  rose  at  four  and  retired 
at  ten,  and  every  minute  of  the  sixteen  working- 
hours  was  made  to  tell  for  good.  He  was  in  the 
front  rank  of  all  his  classes,  and  was  one  of  the 
''prize  men"  in  logic. 

While  here  he  came  directly  under  the  influence 
of  the  Haldanes,  and  his  convictions  against  divi- 
sions in  the  church,  and  abhorrence  of  a  dominating 
clergy,  with  other  important  things  afterwards  so 
prominent  in  his  teachings,  were  clarified  and 
strengthened.  Richardson,  his  biographer,  referring 
to  this  period,  says:  "It  may  be  regarded  as  the 
first  phase  of  that  religious  reformation  which  he 
subsequently  carried  out  so  successfully  to  its 
legitimate  issues."  It  was  while  here  that,  after 
much  prayer  and  thought,  he  fully  decided  to  aban- 
don denominationalism  and  devote  his  life  to  the 
union  of  God's  people. 

i.  Preview  of  A.  Campbell.  Alexander  Camp- 
bell, like  Saul  of  Tarsus,  was  a  many-sided  man. 
As  an  editor  he  stood  in  the  front  rank,  as  is  evi- 
dent from  the  Christian  Baptist  and  Millennial  Har- 
binger. As  an  author  he  is  seen  as  one  of  the 
best,  in  the  sixty  volumes  which  came  from  his 
pen.  As  a  teacher  Bethany  College  stands  in  our 
midst  as  his  glorious  monument  to-day.  As  a 
business  man  he  was  a  success.  As  a  polemic  per- 
haps he  had  no  superior.  As  a  statesman  he  served 
with  distinction  in  the  Constitutional  Convention 
of  Virginia  with  ex-President  Madison,  Chief  Jus- 
tice Marshall,  John  Randolph  of  Roanoke,  and 
other  illustrious  men  of  that  old  commonwealth. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


39 


As  a  religious  leader,  in  spite  of  the  most  difficult 
circumstances,  he  gathered  about  him  an  army  of 
heroic  men  and  women,  who  in  a  single  century 
have  grown  into  large  proportions,  and  now  stand 
in  the  vanguard  of  the  mighty  hosts  of  the  Lord. 
As  a  preacher,  by  common  consent,  he  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  best. 

Let  us  hear  what  some  of  the  eminent  men  of 
the  world  say  of  him: 

Moses  E.  Lard:  "To  few  men  has  nature  been 
more  kind  than  to  Mr.  Campbell.  No  word  but 
lavish  will  express  her  gifts  to  him;  and  this  must 
be  accepted  as  true,  whether  it  have  reference  to 
the  inner  or  outer  man.  Physically,  not  one  in 
a  thousand  was  so  well  endowed  as  was  he.  Nature 
was  in  a  fertile  mood  when  she  molded  that  large, 
sinewy  body.  Material  was  abundant  and  bestowed 
with  no  grudging  hand.  .  .  .  But  his  greatness  lay 
in  his  intellect.  In  resources  of  mind  no  word  but 
opulent  will  describe  him.  Here  he  was  great,  pre- 
eminently great,  in  the  true  sense  of  that  fine, 
simple  word.  .  .  .  We  do  not  hesitate  to  affirm 
that  since  the  last  inspired  man  bowed  his  head  in 
death  a  greater  than  our  lamented  brother  has  not 
risen." 

Jeremiah  Black,  who  served  both  as  Chief  Jus- 
tice of  Pennsylvania  and  Attorney  General  of  the 
LTnited  States,  says :  "As  a  great  preacher,  he  will 
be  remembered  with  unqualified  admiration  by  all 
who  had  the  good  fortune  to  hear  him.  The  inter- 
est which  he  excited  can  hardly  be  explained.  The 
first  sentence  of  his  discourse  'drew  audience  still 


40 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


as  death,'  and  every  word  was  heard  with  rapt 
attention  to  the  close.  It  did  not  appear  to  be 
eloquence;  it  was  not  the  enticing  words  of  man's 
wisdom ;  the  arts  of  the  orator  seemed  to  be  incon- 
sistent with  the  simplicity  of  his  character.  It  was 
logic,  explanation  and  argument  so  clear  that  every- 
body followed  without  effort,  and  all  felt  that  he 
was  raising  them  to  the  level  of  a  superior  mind. 
Persuasion  sat  upon  his  lips.  Prejudice  melted 
away  under  the  easy  flow  of  his  elocution.  The 
clinching  fact  was  always  in  its  proper  place,  and 
the  fine  poetic  illustration  was  ever  at  hand  to  shed 
its  light  over  the  theme.  But  all  this  does  not 
account  for  the  impressiveness  of  his  speeches,  and 
no  analysis  of  them  can  give  any  idea  of  their 
power." 

Ex-President  Madison  says :  "It  was  my  pleasure 
to  hear  him  very  often  as  a  preacher  of  the  gospel, 
and  I  regard  him  as  the  ablest  and  most  original 
expounder  of  the  Scriptures  I  have  ever  heard." 

Dr.  Herman  Humphrey,  president  of  Amherst 
College,  says:  "In  listening  to  him  you  feel  that 
you  are  in  the  presence  of  a  great  man.  He  speaks 
like  a  master  of  assemblies." 

Dr.  Bell,  an  eminent  physician  of  Louisville,  who 
heard  him  in  a  sermon  on  the  Book  of  Hebrews, 
says:  "It  has  been  forty-five  years  since  I  heard 
that  discourse,  but  it  is  as  vivid  in  my  memory  as 
when  I  first  heard  it." 

Robert  Graham,  president  of  Kentucky  Univer- 
sity, says:  "I  can  hardly  express  my  admiration 
of  him  in  every  walk  of  life.    In  the  social  circle 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


41 


he  was  by  far  the  finest  talker  I  ever  heard,  in  the 
lecture-room  the  most  instructive,  and  in  the  pulpit 
he  had  few  equals,  and  no  superior." 

James  S.  Lamar,  a  distinguished  preacher  and 
author,  says:  "The  people  admired  him,  loved  him, 
hung  enchained  upon  his  lips,  trusted  him,  and 
spread  his  name  and  fame  far  and  wide.  He 
moved  in  a  sphere  of  his  own.  He  seemed  to  feel 
that  he  had  a  special  mission,  an  appointment  from 
his  Lord  to  do  a  peculiar  and  world-wide  work.  I 
believe  that  the  Divine  Spirit  so  rested  upon  his 
soul  that  he  lived  and  thought  and  preached  under 
the  sacred  and  solemn  pressure  of  this  conviction. 
He  was  a  God-appointed  and  God-inspired  man,  a 
figure  statuesque,  colossal,  mighty;  a  grand  and 
masterful  man,  worthy  of  his  sacred  mission,  worthy 
of  the  great  brotherhood  whom  he  led  into  the  light 
and  liberty  of  the  gospel,  and  worthy  of  the  large 
place  which  he  will  one  day  be  given  in  the  history 
of  the  Church." 

George  D.  Prentice,  the  brilliant  editor  of  the 
Louisville  Journal,  says:  "Alexander  Campbell  is 
unquestionably  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  men 
of  our  time.  Putting  wholly  out  of  view  his  tenets, 
with  which  we,  of  course,  have  nothing  to  do,  he 
claims,  by  virtue  of  his  intrinsic  qualities  as 
manifested  in  his  achievements,  a  place  among  the 
very  foremost  spirits  of  the  age.  His  energy,  self- 
reliance  and  self-fidelity,  if  we  may  use  the  expres- 
sion, are  of  the  stamp  that  belongs  only  to  the 
world's  first  leaders  in  thought  or  action.  His  per- 
sonal excellence  is  without  a  stain  or  a  shadow. 


42 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


His  intellect  is  among  the  cleanest,  richest,  pro- 
foundest  ever  vouchsafed  to  man.  Indeed,  it  seems 
to  us  that  in  the  faculty  of  abstract  thinking,  in  the 
sphere  of  pure  thought,  he  has  few,  if  any,  living 
rivals.  .  .  .  He  grasps  and  handles  the  highest, 
subtlest,  most  comprehensive  principles  as  if  they 
were  the  liveliest  impressions  of  the  senses.  No 
poet's  soul  is  more  crowded  with  imagery  than  his 
is  with  the  ripest  forms  of  thought.  Surely  the  life 
of  a  man  thus  excellent  and  gifted  is  a  part  of  the 
common  treasure  of  society.  In  his  essential  char- 
acter he  belongs  to  no  sect  or  party,  but  to  the 
world." 

David  Lloyd  George,  Chancellor  of  the  Ex- 
chequer of  Great  Britain,  as  seen  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  says :  "A  very  large  part  of  the  economic 
and  social  principles  I  am  pressing  upon  the  Eng- 
lish people  I  obtained  from  reading  the  writings 
of  Alexander  Campbell." 

Robert  E.  Lee,  the  great  leader  of  the  "Lost 
Cause,"  says:  "He  was  a  man  in  whom  were  illus- 
triously combined  all  the  qualities  that  could  adorn 
or  elevate  the  nature  to  which  he  belonged;  knowl- 
edge the  most  varied  and  extended,  virtue  that 
never  loitered  in  her  career  nor  deviated  from  her 
course.  A  man  who,  if  he  had  been  delegated  as  a 
representative  of  his  species  to  one  of  the  many 
superior  worlds,  would  have  suggested  a  grand  idea 
of  the  human  race." 

It  is  hoped  that  this  brief  preview  of  the  hero 
of  this  history  may  quicken  our  interest  in  the 
remarkable  story  connected  with  his  name. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


43 


a.    A    Parallel.  Thomas 
2.  In  the  New      Campbell,  after  a  voyage  of  thir- 
World  ty-five  days,  landed  in  Philadel- 

phia on  May  27,  1807.  This  was  a  speedy  voyage 
for  that  time.  But  when  the  good  ship  "Brutus" 
sent  her  passengers  ashore,  it  seems  that  no  one 
of  them  impressed  himself  on  the  bystanders  as  a 
man  of  destiny.  These  bystanders  were  as  blind  as 
to  the  character  of  the  newcomers  as  were  their 
European  ancestors  eighteen  hundred  years  ago, 
when  a  little  ship  from  Troas  landed  at  Neapolis, 
and  Paul  for  the  first  time  pressed  his  feet  on 
the  soil  of  Europe.  Just  as  there  was  no  one  then 
who  could  foresee  what  God  would  do  for  Europe 
and  the  world  through  this  modest  Asiatic  preach- 
er, so  no  one  now  could  divine  the  destiny  of  this 
noble  spirit  who  had  for  the  first  time  stepped  on 
American  soil.  However,  as  in  the  afterglow  the 
world  knew  and  appreciated  the  great  apostle,  so 
will  the  same  world  yet  learn  to  appreciate  to  the 
full  the  labors  of  this  man,  and  those  of  his  son, 
who  was  soon  to  follow. 

b.  First  Work.  Mr.  Campbell  fortunately 
found  the  synod  of  his  church  in  session  in  Phila- 
delphia on  his  arrival.  He  reported  to  that  body 
promptly,  and  was  cordially  received,  and  by  it  was 
assigned  to  the  Presbytery  of  Chartiers,  and  was 
given  work  in  Washington  County,  Pennsylvania. 
This  was  choice  territory,  with  Pittsburgh,  an  impor- 
tant city,  as  its  center.  He  located  in  the  town  of 
Washington,  in  the  county  of  the  same  name. 

c.  First  Trouble.     The  ocean  voyage  and 


44 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


change  of  climate  proved  to  be  the  right  prescription 
for  Mr.  Campbell,  and  he  was  ready  to  enter  upon 
his  new  work  without  delay.  His  hopes  were 
bright,  for  he  thought  that  in  a  new  land,  where 
political  liberty  had  been  so  recently  won,  he  would 
find  a  congenial  atmosphere  in  which  to  labor  for 
the  spiritual  liberty  which  he  had  been  unable  to 
secure  in  his  old  home  across  the  sea.  But  he  soon 
discovered  that  he  was  to  be  disappointed.  Early  in 
his  American  ministry  he  was  sent  up  the  Alleghany 
Valley  to  hold  communion  services  among  the  scat- 
tered brethren  of  that  region.  He  found  other 
Presbyterians  who  had  not  for  years  had  the 
privilege  of  the  sacred  Supper,  and  his  big,  warm 
heart  cordially  invited  them  to  join  in  the  feast. 
This  was  a  clear  violation  of  "the  usages"  of  the 
Seceders,  and  Mr.  Campbell  was  called  to  account 
for  it  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  presbytery,  and 
was  censured  for  his  conduct.  He  plead  in  vain 
that  his  action  was  in  harmony  with  the  Scriptures. 
They  did  not  deny  this,  but  urged  that  he  had  vio- 
lated the  "usages"  of  the  church,  and  he  should 
suffer  for  it. 

Mr.  Campbell  appealed  to  the  Synod  of  North 
America,  their  highest  church  court;  for  while  he 
was  as  tender  and  gentle  as  a  woman,  and  a  lover 
of  peace,  he  was  not  the  man  to  submit  passively 
to  a  wrong  which  robbed  him  of  his  rights  as  a 
preacher,  and  took  from  his  brethren  sacred  privi- 
leges vouchsafed  to  them  in  the  word  of  God.  This 
fine  trait  of  his  character  is  generally  overlooked. 
He  was  like  Melancthon  in  courtesy  and  kindness, 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


45 


but  when  the  occasion  demanded  it,  he  was  as  cour- 
ageous as  Luther.  Here  he  was  a  stranger  in  a 
strange  land,  and  yet  he  acted  as  if  he  were  in 
the  midst  of  a  host  of  old  friends,  tried  and  true. 
In  fact,  the  real  Thomas  Campbell  is  just  now  com- 
ing into  view.  We  have  not  known  him  before; 
neither  has  he  known  himself.  Hitherto  he  has 
been  a  young  man  at  the  threshold  of  life;  but  now 
he  is  forty-four,  with  his  powers  well  developed, 
and  with  an  environment  calling  them  into  active 
exercise.  Life  heretofore  has  been  preliminary  and 
preparatory,  but  henceforth  it  is  to  be  stern  and 
real.  Until  now  he  has  been  a  soldier  in  the 
camp  of  instruction;  but  the  battle,  fierce  and 
furious,  has  begun.  His  life-work — the  restora- 
tion of  primitive  Christianity — is  coming  into  clearer 
outline,  and,  like  a  real  hero,  he  confers  not  with 
flesh  and  blood,  but  responds  at  once  to  duty's 
call. 

His  appeal  to  the  supreme  synod  was  masterly. 
There  was  nothing  in  it  vindictive,  but  in  calmness 
and  courage  he  plead  for  religious  liberty  as  guar- 
anteed in  the  Book.  Here  is  a  sample  sentence  of 
that  appeal:  "How  great  the  injustice,  how  aggra- 
vated the  injury  will  appear,  to  thrust  from  com- 
munion a  Christian  brother,  a  fellow-minister,  for 
saying  and  doing  none  other  things  than  those 
which  our  divine  Lord  and  his  apostles  have  taught. 
...  I  plead  the  cause  of  the  Scriptural  and  apos- 
tolic worship  of  the  Church,  in  opposition  to  the 
various  errors  and  schisms  which  have  so  awfully 
corrupted  and  divided  it." 


^6 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


But  his  appeal  was  in  vain,  leaving  him  with 
but  a  single  course  to  pursue  in  order  to  preserve 
his  self-respect  and  loyalty  to  his  convictions :  de- 
clare his  independence  of  all  human  tribunals;  and 
this  he  did,  saying,  "Henceforth  I  decline  all  min- 
isterial connection  with,  or  subjection  to,  the  Asso- 
ciate Synod  of  North  America." 

What  this  painful  step  cost  Mr.  Campbell,  the 
refined  and  loving  Christian  gentleman,  we  can 
never  know.  But,  like  Paul,  he  was  ready,  if  need 
be,  to  give  up  everything — even  life  itself — for  the 
truth  as  he  saw  it  in  the  Bible. 

d.  Mighty  Slogan.  His  withdrawal  from  the 
Seceders  did  not  lessen  the  labors  of  Mr.  Campbell. 
He  continued  to  preach  mainly  in  the  homes  of  his 
friends,  and  the  people  heard  him  gladly.  So 
intense  was  the  interest  aroused  that  a  special  meet- 
ing was  called  to  consider  their  future  course.  A 
large  audience  accordingly  gathered  at  the  home  of 
Abraham  Altars,  a  friendly  outsider,  and  Mr.  Camp- 
bell made  a  great  speech,  exalting  the  Bible  as  the 
all-sufficient  and  the  alone-sufficient  rule  of  faith  and 
practice,  and  reaching  his  thrilling  climax  in  the 
famous  words,  "Where  the  Scriptures  speak,  we 
speak ;  and  where  the  Scriptures  are  silent,  we  are 
silent."  The  sequel  shows  this  to  have  been  one  of 
the  most  important  conferences  ever  held  on  the 
.American  continent. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  address  a  deathlike 
silence  settled  on  the  audience.  The  impression 
was  wonderful.  It  was  a  time  for  meditation, 
and  not  words.    But  when  the  silence  was  finally 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


47 


broken,  the  excitement  was  intense.  Andrew  Mon- 
roe, an  intelligent  Scotchman,  was  the  first  to  speak. 
"Mr.  Campbell/'  he  said,  "if  we  adopt  that  as 
a  basis,  there  is  an  end  to  infant  baptism."  Mr. 
Campbell  replied :  "Of  course,  if  infant  baptism  is 
not  found  in  the  Scriptures,  we  can  have  nothing 
to  do  with  it."  At  this  Thomas  Acheson,  an  emo- 
tional spirit,  arose  and,  in  much  excitement,  ex- 
claimed :  "I  hope  I  may  never  see  the  day  when 
my  heart  will  renounce  the  blessed  saying  of  the 
Scripture,  'Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me, 
and  forbid  them  not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom 
of  heaven'  1"  And  he  burst  into  tears.  James 
Foster  said:  "Mr.  Acheson,  in  the  Scripture  which 
you  have  quoted  there  is  no  reference  whatever 
to  infant  baptism." 

e.  Forward  Stride.  The  enunciation  of  this 
great  principle  was  a  mighty  stride  forward.  It 
marks  an  epoch  in  religious  history.  The  clouds 
were  rifted,  and  the  guiding  star  of  the  new  move- 
ment for  the  first  time  shone  clearly  on  the  path- 
way of  this  unconscious  reformer.  The  exact  time 
had  come  for  this  declaration.  The  soil  at  last  was 
ready  for  the  seed,  and  the  sower  was  there  to 
scatter  it.  The  soil  in  the  Old  World  was  preoccu- 
pied, and  so  he  was  sent  across  the  Atlantic  to 
deposit  it  in  the  virgin  soil  of  the  greatest  republic 
beneath  the  stars. 

/.  Declaration  and  Address.  On  August  17, 
1809,  another  important  meeting  was  held,  when  it 
was  determined  to  organize,  not  a  church,  but 
"The  Christian  Association  of  Washington."  It 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


was  evident  to  all  that  organization  was  essential  to 
effectiveness.  "This  act  and  this  date."  says  C. 
L.  Loos,  "may  be  regarded  as  the  actual  beginning 
of  our  reformation  in  an  organized  form."  A  com- 
mittee of  twenty-one  was  appointed  to  recommend 
the  best  means  of  promoting  the  purposes  of  the 
organization.  Mr.  Campbell  wrote  the  report  of  the 
committee ;  and.  when  completed,  the  committee 
was  called  together,  and  on  September  7,  1809,  it 
was  unanimously  adopted,  and  ordered  published 
to  the  world. 

This  "Declaration  and  Address''  is  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  productions  of  its  kind  in  the 
world,  and  the  brief  analysis  of  it  in  the  following 
chapter  will  richly  reward  a  careful  study. 

g.  Family  Reunited.  On  September  29,  1809. 
more  than  two  years  after  Thomas  Campbell  left 
Ireland,  the  family,  in  charge  of  his  son,  Alexander, 
after  a  billowy  voyage  of  forty-six  days,  landed  in 
Xew  York.  Only  a  few  days  were  spent  in  sight- 
seeing, after  which  the  long  overland  trip  of  three 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  across  the  mountains  to 
Washington,  Pennsylvania,  was  begun.  The  father 
met  them  on  the  way,  and  they  talked  of  many 
things  as  they  journeyed  homeward.  But  the  all- 
important  subject  discussed  by  the  two  men  was 
the  "Declaration  and  Address."  proof-sheets  of 
which  Mr.  Campbell  had  with  him.  And  thus,  most 
appropriately,  the  first  thing  read  by  Alexander 
Campbell  in  America  was  this  "Address."  He  was 
delighted  with  it.  And  later,  when  he  had  given 
it  careful  study,  he  said  to  his  father  that  he 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


49 


intended  to  devote  his  life  to  the  propagation  of 
the  principles  contained  in  it. 

Before  reaching  home  they  learned,  greatly  to 
each  other's  joy,  that  their  views  regarding  sec- 
tarianism were  the  same.  They  had  decided  that 
a  divided  Church  could  never  present  to  the 
world  the  idea  of  unity  taught  in  the  Scriptures. 
The  circumstances  under  which  they  reached  this 
conclusion  were  wholly  different,  and  during  the 
time  they  had  no  conference  with  each  other  on 
the  subject.  The  father,  while  actively  engaged  in 
the  work  of  the  ministry,  was  forced,  by  the  stern 
logic  of  facts,  to  this  belief ;  and  the  son,  while 
laboring  as  a  student  of  the  Bible,  and  observing 
the  narrowness  and  bitterness  of  a  divided  Church, 
was  reluctantly  driven  to  the  same  conviction.  So 
vicious  was  sectarian  hatred  that  Mr.  Campbell 
told  his  son  that  "nothing  but  the  law  of  the  land 
had  kept  his  head  upon  his  shoulders."  Each  had 
up  to  this  time  half  feared  to  make  known  to  the 
other  these  mighty  inner  revolutions,  hence  their 
joy  was  all  the  greater  at  the  discovery,  and  their 
convictions  were  strengthened  at  this  new  evidence 
that  the  Father  was  guiding  them  in  their  ways. 


4 


50     HOW  THE  DISCIPLES  BEGAN  AXD  GREW 


Questions. 

1.  Why  is  it  necessary  to  have  truth  incarnated? 

2.  What  is  often  the  fate  of  discoverers  and 
inventors  ? 

3.  What  evidence  is  there  of  the  strength  of 
Thomas  Campbell? 

4.  Sketch  the  early  life  of  Alexander  Camp- 
bell. 

5.  Why  did  Thomas  Campbell  come  to 
America? 

6.  Tell  of  the  shipwreck  of  Alexander  Camp- 
bell. 

7.  Sketch  his  life  in  Glasgow  University. 

8.  Give  the  preview  of  Alexander  Campbell. 

9.  Tell  of  the  landing  of  Thomas  Campbell  in 
America. 

10.  What  of  his  first  work  and  first  trouble? 

11.  Tell  of  his  experience  with  the  synods. 

12.  Tell  of  his  great  address  in  the  home  of 
Abraham  Altars. 

13.  What  of  the  "Declaration  and  Address"? 

14.  Tell  of  the  reunion  of  father  and  son. 


DECLARATION  AND  ADDRESS 


51 


OUTLINE— CHAPTER  III. 

1.  The  Declaration. 

a.  Unity,  Peace  and  Purity. 

b.  Means  to  This  End. 

c.  Disclaimer. 

2.  The  Address. 

a.  Oneness  of  the  Church. 

b.  Co-operation. 

c.  Tests  of  Fellowship. 

d.  Perfect  Constitution. 

e.  Ordinances  and  Commandments. 
/.  Inferences  and  Deductions. 

g.  Doctrinal  Information. 

h.  Essential  Knowledge. 

i.  The  Saints  a  Great  Family. 
;.  A  Horrid  Evil. 

k.  Cause  of  Corruption  and  Division. 
/.  Faith  and  Obedience. 
m.  Human  Expedients. 

3.  The  Appendix. 

a.  The  Author. 

b.  Two  Phases. 

c.  Fundamental  Wrong. 


52 


III. 


Declaration  and  Address. 


'The  Declaration  and  Address/'  written  by 
Thomas  Campbell,  and  published  to  the  world  by 
the  Christian  Association  of  Washington,  is  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  productions  of  its  kind,  and 
we  would  like  to  give  it  in  full,  but  space  forbids. 
It  covers  fifty-four  closely  printed  pages,  and  con- 
tains more  than  thirty  thousand  words.  But  we 
give  an  analysis,  though  brief,  which  conveys  a 
good  view  of  the  production,  and  suggest  that  the 
reader  secure  a  copy  in  full  for  his  library.  It 
is  a  threefold  address,  containing  the  "Declaration," 
the  "Address"  and  the  "Appendix." 


spirit,  we  desire  to  be  at  rest;  and  were  it  possible, 
we  would  also  desire  to  adopt  such  measures  as 
would  give  rest  to  our  brethren  throughout  all  the 
churches,  as  would  restore  unity,  peace  and  purity 
to  the  whole  Church  of  God." 

b.  Means  to  This  End.  "Rejecting  human 
opinions  and  the  inventions  of  men  as  of  authority, 
or  as  having  any  place  in  the  Church  of  God,  we 
might  forever  cease  from  further  contentions  about 
such  things;  returning  to  and  holding  fast  by  the 


i.  The  Declara- 
tion 


a.  Unity,  Peace  and  Purity. 
"Tired  and  sick  of  bitter  jar- 
rings  and  j anglings  of  a  party 


53 


54 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


original  standard;  taking  the  Divine  Word  alone 
for  our  rule;  the  Holy  Spirit  for  our  teacher  and 
guide ;  and  Christ  alone,  as  exhibited  in  the  Word, 
for  our  salvation;  that,  by  so  doing,  we  may  be 
at  peace  among  ourselves,  follow  peace  with  all 
men,  and  holiness,  without  which  no  man  shall  see 
the  Lord." 

c.  Disclaimer.  "This  Society  by  no  means 
considers  itself  a  Church,  nor  do  the  members  con- 
sider themselves  as  standing  in  that  relation;  but 
merely  as  voluntary  advocates  of  Church  reforma- 
tion ;  and  as  possessing  the  powers  common  to  all 
individuals  who  may  please  to  associate  themselves 
for  any  lawful  purpose;  namely,  the  disposal  of 
their  time,  counsel  and  property  as  they  may  see 
cause." 

Let  it  be  noted  here  that  the  purpose  of  this 

Association   was   union,   and   not   division.  Like 

Wesley,  they  would  work  from  within,  and  not 

from  without,  for  the  purification  of  the  Church. 

Preliminary   to   the  thirteen 
2.  The  Address  .  .         .  . 

propositions   following,  there  is 

a  discussion  of   the   character  of   the  Christian 

religion,  and  the  spirit  of  the  appeal  made.  A 

single  quotation  will  reveal  the  clear  thought  and 

sweet  spirit  here. 

"It  is  to  us  a  pleasing  consideration  that  all  the 

churches  of  Christ  which  mutually  acknowledge 

each  other  as  such,  are  not  only  agreed  in  the 

great  doctrines  of  faith  and  holiness,  but  are  also 

materially  agreed  as  to  the  positive  ordinances  of 

the  gospel  institution;  so  that  our  differences,  at 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


55 


most,  are  about  the  things  in  which  the  Kingdom 
of  God  does  not  consist;  that  is,  about  matters  of 
private  opinion  and  human  invention.  What  a  pity 
that  the  Kingdom  of  God  should  be  divided  about 
such  things?  Who,  then,  would  not  be  the  first 
among  us  to  give  up  human  inventions  in  the  wor- 
ship of  God,  and  to  cease  from  imposing  his  private 
opinions  upon  his  brethren,  that  our  breaches  might 
thus  be  healed?  Who  would  not  willingly  conform 
to  the  original  pattern  laid  down  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment for  this  happy  purpose?  Our  dear  brethren 
of  all  denominations  will  please  to  consider  that  we 
have  our  educational  prejudices  and  particular  cus- 
toms to  struggle  against  as  well  as  they.  But  this 
we  do  sincerely  declare,  that  there  is  nothing  that 
we  have  hitherto  received  as  matters  of  faith  or 
practice,  which  is  not  expressly  taught  in  the  Word 
of  God,  either  in  express  terms  or  approved  prec- 
edent, that  we  would  not  heartily  relinquish,  so 
that  we  might  return  to  the  original  unity  of  the 
Christian  Church;  and  in  this  happy  unity,  enjoy 
full  communion  with  all  our  brethren  in  peace  and 
charity.  The  like  dutiful  condescension  we  expect 
of  all  that  are  seriously  impressed  with  a  sense  of 
the  duty  they  owe  to  God,  to  each  other,  and  to 
their  perishing  brethren  of  mankind.  .  .  .  With 
you  all  we  desire  to  unite  in  the  bands  of  Christian 
unity — Christ  alone  being  the  Head;  his  word  the 
rule;  an  explicit  belief  of,  and  conformity  to,  it  in 
all  things,  the  terms.  More  than  this  you  will  not 
require  of  us ;  and  less  we  can  not  require  of  you." 
In  all  literature  nothing  can  be  found  clearer 


56 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


in  thought,  gentler  or  more  considerate  in  expres- 
sion, and  more  free  from  the  touch  and  taint  of 
sectarianism,  than  this. 

Then  follow  the  itemized  propositions,  preceded, 
however,  by  this  precautionary  word:  "Let  none 
imagine  that  the  enjoined  propositions  are  intended 
as  an  overture  toward  a  new  creed  or  standard  of 
the  Church.  Nothing  can  be  further  from  our 
intention.  They  are  merely  designed  to  open  the 
way  that  we  may  come  fairly  and  firmly  to  original 
ground  upon  clear  and  certain  promises,  and  take 
up  things  just  as  the  Apostles  left  them.  Having 
said  so  much  to  solicit  attention  and  prevent  mis- 
take, we  submit  as  follows: 

a.  Oneness  of  the  Church.  "That  the  Church 
of  Christ  on  earth  is  essentially,  intentionally,  and 
constitutionally  one;  consisting  of  all  those  in  every 
place  that  profess  faith  in  Christ  and  obedience  to 
him  in  all  things  according  to  the  Scriptures,  and 
that  manifest  the  same  by  their  tempers  and  con- 
duct. 

b.  Co-operation.  "That  although  the  Church 
must  necessarily  exist  in  distinct  societies,  locally 
separate  one  from  another;  yet  there  ought  to  be 
no  schisms,  no  uncharitable  divisions  among  them. 
They  ought  to  receive  each  other  as  Christ  hath 
received  them  to  the  glory  of  God.  And  for  this 
purpose  they  ought  all  to  walk  by  the  same  rule, 
to  mind  and  speak  the  same  thing,  and  to  be  per- 
fectly joined  together  in  the  same  mind  and  judg- 
ment. 

c.  Tests  of  Fellowship.    "That,  in  order  to 


BEGAN  AND  GREW  57 


this,  nothing  ought  to  be  inculcated  as  articles  of 
faith,  nor  required  as  terms  of  communion,  but  what 
is  expressly  taught  in  the  word  of  God,  .  .  . 
either  in  expressed  terms,  or  by  approved  precedent 

d.  The  Perfect  Constitution.  "That  although 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments  are  inseparably  con- 
nected, making  one  perfect  revelation  of  the 
Divine  will,  for  the  edification  and  salvation  of  the 
Church,  and  therefore  in  that  respect  can  not  be 
separated;  yet  as  to  what  directly  belongs  to  their 
immediate  object,  the  New  Testament  is  a  perfect 
constitution  for  the  worship,  discipline  and  govern- 
ment of  the  New  Testament  Church,  and  as  per- 
fect a  rule  for  the  particular  duties  of  its  members, 
as  the  Old  Testament  was  for  the  Old  Testament 
Church. 

e.  Ordinances  and  Commandments.  "That 
with  respect  to  the  commands  and  ordinances  of 
our  Lord,  about  which  the  Scriptures  are  silent  as 
to  the  express  time  or  manner  of  performance,  if 
any  such  there  be,  no  human  authority  has  power 
to  interfere  in  order  to  supply  the  supposed 
deficiency,  by  making  laws  for  the  Church.  Much 
less  has  any  human  authority  power  to  impose 
new  commands  or  ordinances  not  enjoined  by  the 
Lord.  Nothing  ought  to  be  received  into  the  faith 
or  worship  of  the  Church,  or  be  made  a  term  of 
communion  among  Christians,  that  is  not  as  old  as 
the  New  Testament. 

/.  Inferences  and  Deductions.  "That  al- 
though inferences  and  deductions  from  Scripture 
premises,  when  fairly  inferred,  may  be  truly  called 


58 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


the  doctrine  of  God's  Word,  yet  they  are  not  bind- 
ing upon  the  consciences  of  Christians  farther  than 
they  perceive  the  connection;  for  their  faith  must 
not  stand  in  the  wisdom  of  men,  but  in  the  power 
of  God. 

g.  Doctrinal  Information.  "That  although 
doctrinal  exhibitions  of  Divine  truths,  and  defen- 
sive testimonies  in  opposition  to  prevailing  errors, 
be  expedient;  and  the  more  full  and  explicit  they 
be  for  those  purposes  the  better;  yet  as  these 
must  be  in  a  great  measure  the  effect  of  human 
reasoning,  they  ought  not  to  be  made  terms  of 
Christian  communion,  unless  we  suppose,  what  is 
contrary  to  fact,  that  none  have  a  right  to  the 
communion  of  the  Church  but  such  as  possess  a 
clear  and  decisive  judgment,  or  are  come  to  a 
high  degree  of  doctrinal  information;  whereas  the 
Church  from  the  beginning  did,  and  ever  will,  con- 
sist of  little  children,  and  young  men,  as  well  as 
fathers. 

h.  Essential  Knowledge.  "That  as  it  is  not 
necessary  that  persons  should  have  a  particular 
knowledge  or  a  distinct  apprehension  of  all  divinely 
revealed  truths  in  order  to  entitle  them  to  a  place 
in  the  Church ;  neither  should  they,  for  this  pur- 
pose, be  required  to  make  a  profession  more  exten- 
sive than  their  knowledge;  but  that,  on  the  contrary, 
they  have  a  due  measure  of  Scriptural  knowledge 
respecting  their  lost  condition,  and  of  the  way  of 
salvation  through  Jesus  Christ,  accompanied  with  a 
profession  of  faith  in,  and  obedience  to,  Him  in  all 
things  according  to  His  Word,  is  all  that  is  neces- 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


59 


sary  to  qualify  them  for  admission  into  the 
Church. 

i.  The  Saints  a  Great  Family.  "That  all 
that  are  enabled  to  make  such  a  profession,  and  to 
manifest  it  in  their  conduct,  should  consider  each 
other  as  the  precious  saints  of  God,  should  love 
each  other  as  brethren,  children  of  the  same  family 
and  Father,  temples  of  the  same  Spirit,  members 
of  the  same  body,  subjects  of  the  same  grace,  ob- 
jects of  the  same  Divine  love,  bought  with  the  same 
price,  and  joint-heirs  of  the  same  inheritance.  Whom 
God  hath  thus  joined  together  no  man  should  dare 
to  put  asunder. 

;'.  A  Horrid  Evil.  "That  division  among  Chris- 
tians is  a  horrid  evil,  fraught  with  many  evils.  It 
is  anti-Christian,  as  it  destroys  the  visible  unity  of 
the  body  of  Christ;  as  if  he  were  divided  against 
Himself,  excluding  and  excommunicating  a  part  of 
Himself.  It  is  anti-Scriptural,  as  being  strictly  pro- 
hibited by  His  sovereign  authority;  a  direct  viola- 
tion of  His  expressed  command.  It  is  anti-natural, 
as  it  excites  Christians  to  contemn,  to  hate  and 
oppose  one  another,  who  are  by  the  highest  and 
most  endearing  obligations  to  love  each  other  as 
brethren,  even  as  Christ  has  loved  them. 

k.  Cause  of  Corruption  and  Division.  "That 
(in  some  instances)  a  partial  neglect  of  the  revealed 
will  of  God;  and  (in  others)  an  assumed  authority 
for  making  human  opinicns  and  human  inventions 
a  term  of  communion  by  introducing  them  into  the 
constitution,  faith  or  worship  of  the  Church ;  are, 
and  have  been,  the  immediate,  obvious  and  univer- 


60 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


sally  acknowledged  causes  of  all  the  corruptions 
and  divisions  that  ever  have  taken  place  in  the 
Church  of  God. 

/.  Faith  and  Obedience.  "That  all  that  is 
necessary  to  the  highest  state  of  perfection  and 
purity  in  the  Church,  is,  first,  that  none  be  received 
as  members  but  such  as  having  that  due  measure 
of  Scriptural  knowledge  described  above,  do  profess 
their  faith  in  Christ  and  obedience  to  Him  in  all 
things  according  to  the  Scriptures ;  nor,  second- 
ly, that  any  be  retained  in  her  communion  longer 
than  they  continue  to  manifest  the  reality  of  their 
profession  by  their  conduct ;  thirdly,  that  her 
ministers,  duly  and  Scripturally  qualified,  incul- 
cate none  other  things  than  those  very  articles  of 
faith  and  holiness  expressly  revealed  in  the  Word 
of  God.  Lastly,  that  in  all  their  administration 
they  keep  close  by  the  observances  of  all  the  ordi- 
nances, after  the  example  of  the  primitive  Church, 
exhibited  in  the  New  Testament,  without  any  addi- 
tions whatsoever  of  human  opinions  or  inventions 
of  men. 

m.  Human  Expedients.  "That  if  any  circum- 
stantials indispensably  necessary  to  the  observance 
of  Divine  ordinances  be  not  found  upon  the  page 
of  revelation,  such,  and  such  only,  as  are  absolutely 
necessary  for  this  purpose,  should  be  adopted,  under 
the  title  of  human  expedients,  without  any  pre- 
tence to  a  more  sacred  origin, — so  that  any  subse- 
quent alteration  or  difference  in  the  observance  of 
these  things  might  produce  no  contention  nor  divi- 
sion in  the  Church." 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


61 


3.  The  Appendix 


The  Appendix  is  an  effort  to 
make  absolutely  plain  every  point 


in  the  foregoing  at  all  liable  to  be  misunderstood. 

a.  The  Author.  This  great  document  shows 
its  author  a  man  of  great  head  and  heart,  for  none 
but  a  great  head  could  have  conceived  it,  and  none 
but  a  great  heart  could  have  so  sweetened  it  with  the 
spirit  of  the  Master.  It  became  the  magna  charta 
of  the  great  Restoration  Movement  which  followed. 
It  might  also  be  called  a  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, for,  like  the  one  written  by  Thomas  Jeffer- 
son, it  was  a  protest  against  spiritual  tyranny,  and 
a  plea  for  larger  liberty  in  the  realm  of  the  soul. 
So  fully  and  so  fairly  does  it  cover  the  questions 
involved,  that  no  attempt  was  ever  made  by  the 
opposers  of  the  movement  to  controvert  a  single 
position  which  it  contains. 

b.  Two  Phases.  The  work  of  the  Campbells 
has  two  distinct  and  different  phases.  Here  it  is 
seen  in  its  first  phase,  showing  them  willing,  like 
Wesley  in  the  Church  of  England,  to  remain  with- 
in the  fold  of  denominationalism  on  certain  condi- 
tions. Mr.  Campbell,  in  the  Harbinger  of  1837, 
says:  "So  fully  were  we  aware  of  the  evils  of 
schism,  and  so  reluctant  to  assume  the  attitude  of 
a  new  party,  that  we  proposed  to  continue  in  the 
Presbyterian  connection,  even  after  we  were  con- 
vinced of  various  imperfections  in  the  form  of 
its  government,  in  its  system  of  discipline,  in  its 
administration  of  Christian  ordinances,  and  of  the 
want  of  Scriptural  warrant  for  infant  baptism ; 
provided  only  that  they  would  allow  us  to  follow 


62 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


our  own  convictions  by  not  obliging  us  to  do  what 
we  could  not  approve,  and  allowing  us  to  teach  and 
enforce  only  those  matters  for  which  we  could 
produce  clear  Scriptural  authority,  and  make  all 
the  rest  a  subject  of  forbearance  till  further 
enlightened." 

Evidently  they  had  their  doubts  as  to  whether 
the  goal  for  which  they  were  striving — Christian 
union — could  be  attained  in  this  way ;  but  their  con- 
sciousness of  the  evils  of  division,  and  their  aver- 
sion to  doing  anything  that  would  make  them 
appear  like  a  new  denomination,  constrained  them 
to  give  the  attempt  a  fair  test.  The  significant  phrase 
"till  further  enlightened"  indicates  that  they  were 
not  sure  of  their  footing.  But  the  longer  the  test 
continued,  the  stronger  was  the  conviction  that  the 
plan  would  not  work.  The  walls  surrounding  the 
different  religious  bodies  were  so  strong,  and  the 
bitterness  within  was  so  intense,  that  not  even  a 
respectable  federation  could  be  formed.  Some  were 
unwilling  to  be  known  even  as  allies  of  others. 

c.  The  Fundamental  Wrong.  Surrounded  by 
an  atmosphere  like  this,  these  men  soon  discovered 
that  there  was  something  fundamentally  wrong. 
They  saw  themselves  as  physicians  dealing  with  the 
surface  indications  of  a  disease  when  the  real 
trouble  was  in  the  blood  of  the  patient.  Denomina- 
tionalism  itself  was  a  surface  indication  of  a  con- 
stitutional wrong  back  of  it;  and  even  though  they 
had  succeeded  in  banding  together  its  different 
members,  the  fabric  would  have  fallen  for  want  of 
a  foundation.     The  cause  of  sickness  must  be 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


63 


removed  before  we  can  reasonably  look  for  health. 
The  original  Church  was  united ;  its  Author  and  its 
inspired  builders  so  erected  it,  and  therefore  union 
is  right  and  division  is  wrong.  The  clear-cut  tones 
of  their  great  slogan,  "Where  the  Bible  speaks, 
we  speak;  where  the  Bible  is  silent,  we  are  silent," 
Were  distinctly  heard  above  the  din  and  confusion 
of  the  contending  factions — they  were  "further 
enlightened" — and  they  saw  that  their  goal  could  be 
reached  only  by  the  restoration  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment Church,  and  so  ever  afterward  they  bent  their 
every  energy  to  this  end.  Henceforth  nothing  short 
of  the  full  and  complete  restoration  of  the  Apos- 
tolic Church  in  its  faith,  its  ordinances  and  its 
life  interested  them. 

This  is  the  second  phase  of  their  work,  and  no 
man  can  understand  it,  or  correctly  represent  it, 
who  is  blind  to  this  distinction.  At  first  they  were 
willing,  for  the  sake  of  union,  to  overlook  many 
things  taught  in  the  Scriptures,  among  them  the 
ordinances;  but  later  they  went  back  of  all  denom- 
inationalism,  and  all  uninspired  creeds  and  councils, 
to  the  fountain-head,  and  began  the  work  of  the 
reproduction  of  the  Church  as  it  was  in  the  begin- 
ning. Then,  and  not  before,  their  movement  began 
to  move,  because  until  now  it  was  on  the  wrong 
track;  and  if  we  would  keep  it  moving,  we  must 
see  that  it  remains  on  this  track. 


64    HOW.  THE  DISCIPLES  BEGAN  AND  GREW 


Questions. 

1.  Why  not  give  the  "Declaration  and  Address" 
in  full? 

2.  How  many  pages  and  words  in  it? 

3.  What  is  its  threefold  division? 

4.  Name  the  three  points  in  the  first  division. 

5.  Name  the  thirteen  points  in  the  second 
division. 

6.  What  is  the  purpose  of  the  third  division? 

7.  State  the  two  phases  of  the  work  of  the 
Campbells. 

8.  Can  this  work  be  understood,  or  correctly 
represented,  without  a  recognition  of  these  phases? 


IV. 

PREPARATORY  WORK 


5 


65 


OUTLINE— CHAPTER  IV. 


1.  Alexander  Campbell's  First  Sermon. 

2.  Trouble  with  the  Pittsburgh  Synod. 

3.  Positions  of  Father  and  Son  Reversed. 

4.  The  Church  in  the  Wilderness. 

5.  Progress. 

a.  Sick  Church  Discovered. 

b.  Causes  of  the  Sickness. 

c.  Remedy  Discovered. 


66 


IV. 


Preparatory  Work. 

i.  Alexander  Not  long  after  the  coming  of 

Campbell's   First    the  son,  the  father  asked  him 
Sermon  t0  ciose  one  0f  his  meetings  with 

an  exhortation.  This  was  his  first  attempt  to  take 
any  public  part  in  the  worship.  He  spoke  easily 
and  effectively,  and  at  the  close  his  father  was 
heard  in  an  undertone  to  say,  "Very  well,  very 
well."  On  July  15,  1810,  when  in  his  twenty-sec- 
ond year,  he  preached  his  first  sermon.  He  spoke 
to  a  large  audience  in  a  grove  near  their  home.  It 
was  well  prepared,  and  delivered  with  eloquence 
and  force,  so  much  so  that  at  its  close  many  said 
he  was  a  better  preacher  than  his  father;  a  high 
compliment  truly,  for  all  regarded  Thomas  Camp- 
bell as  one  of  the  greatest  preachers  of  his  day. 
His  text  was :  "Whosoever  heareth  these  sayings  of 
mine,  and  doeth  them,  I  will  liken  him  to  a  man 
who  built  his  house  on  a  rock,"  etc.  (Matt.  7:24- 
27).  His  text  was  the  keynote  to  the  strong  life- 
current  now  beginning  to  manifest  itself  in  this 
gifted  young  man.  It  was  a  bugle-call  to  the  world 
to  hear  and  heed  the  words  of  God  rather  than 
those  of  men.  Soon  after  this  he  preached  the 
first  sermon  at  Brush  Run,  their  first  congregation, 
when  his  text  was  again  prophetic.    It  was  from 

67 


68 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


Job  8:7:  "Though  thy  beginning  was  small,  yet 
thy  latter  end  should  greatly  increase."  How 
literally  true  has  this  promise  been  fulfilled  in  the 
history  of  this  people.  Then  they  were  indeed  a 
"feeble  folk,"  but  in  a  single  short  century  they 
have  become  a  mighty  army,  a  million  and  a  half 
strong,  and  now  constitute  one  of  the  greatest  fac- 
tors in  the  religious  world. 

The    "Declaration    and  Ad- 
s' Trouble  with      dress„  ag  tQ  ^  immediate  effect 

Pittsburgh  Synod  on  the  PeoPle'  was  a  disappoint- 
ment to  Mr.  Campbell.  Its  ar- 
guments, overtures  and  entreaties,  though  kind  in 
spirit,  and  thoroughly  Scriptural,  seemed  powerless 
among  them.  They  neither  accepted  nor  rejected 
them,  but  let  them  severely  alone.  And  it  looked  as 
if  the  "Association"  was  drifting  in  the  direction  of 
a  distinct  religious  body,  and  they  were  in  danger  of 
becoming  another  sect  in  the  ridiculous  attitude  of 
pleading  for  the  destruction  of  all  others.  Such  a 
thought  was  most  abhorrent  to  the  Campbells.  Like 
most  of  the  reformers  before  them,  they  would  not 
add  another  to  the  already  long  list  of  sectarian 
bodies,  but  would  correct  their  wrongs  from  within. 
And  while  they  were  worrying  over  the  matter,  a 
solicitation  came  for  them  to  form  a  union  with 
another  Presbyterian  body.  The  son  opposed  it 
privately,  but  felt  that  he  was  too  young  to  make 
public  his  opposition.  His  high  regard  for  the  judg- 
ment of  his  father  also  restrained  him.  And  so,  on 
October  4,  1810,  Thomas  Campbell,  on  behalf  of  the 
"Association,"  applied  for  membership  in  the  Pitts- 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


69 


burgh  Synod.  In  the  application  he  was  careful  to 
guard  against  all  misunderstandings.  He  made  it 
clear  that  they  were  not  a  church,  but  only  a  society 
of  Christians  formed  for  the  purpose  of  promoting 
Christian  union;  neither  would  they  submit  to  the 
laws  of  the  Synod  except  as  those  laws  harmonized 
with  the  Bible.  In  a  word,  they  were  not  to 
become  Presbyterians,  but  would  co-operate  with 
them  in  their  work.  They  were  neither  ready  to 
lose  their  identity  nor  to  modify  their  lofty  aim. 

Under  the  circumstances,  of  course,  the  applica- 
tion was  denied.  "For  a  party  to  have  admitted 
into  its  bosom  those  who  were  avowedly  bent  on 
the  destruction  of  partyism,"  says  Richardson, 
"would  have  been  suicidal.  It  would  have  been 
only  to  repeat,  in  another  form,  the  story  of  the 
wooden  horse  of  Troy,  and  to  have  the  gates  of 
its  well-walled  ecclesiastical  city  thrown  open  to  its 
enemies."  But  Mr.  Campbell's  dread  of  increas- 
ing the  number  of  denominations,  for  the  moment, 
seemed  to  blind  him  to  the  absurdity  of  the  situa- 
tion. 

Had  the  Synod  been  as  courteous  in  its  refusal 
as  Mr.  Campbell  was  in  his  application,  the  result 
would  have  been  different;  but  it  went  out  of  its 
way  to  say  some  very  unkind  things,  and  closed 
with  these  words :  "For  the  above,  and  many  other 
important  reasons,  Mr.  Campbell's  request  can  not 
be  granted."  Of  course  no  self-respecting  man, 
however  averse  to  controversy,  could  remain  silent 
under  these  circumstances,  and  so  Mr.  Campbell 
demanded  to  know  what  was  included  in  the  omni- 


70 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


bus  phrase,  "many  other  reasons."  He  was  assured 
that  no  immorality  was  implied,  but  that  it  referred 
to  four  grave  errors:  (1)  That  he  had  taught  that 
there  were  opinions  in  the  "Confession  of  Faith" 
not  found  in  the  Bible;  (2)  that  infant  baptism 
was  not  authorized  by  the  Scriptures;  (3)  that  he 
was  opposed  to  human  creeds,  and  (4)  that  he 
encouraged  his  son  to  preach  without  any  regular 
authority. 

When  he  saw  that  his  character  was  not 
attacked,  Mr.  Campbell  was  disposed  to  dismiss 
the  matter  without  comment.  But  not  so  with  his 
son.  His  opposition  to  the  whole  affair  in  the 
beginning  now  being  vindicated,  he  felt  that  the 
time  for  weak  submission  had  passed,  and  that 
something  aggressive  was  demanded.  He  was 
young,  his  blood  was  hot,  and  he  was  unwilling 
to  stand  by  and  allow  the  Synod  to  go  out  of  its 
way  to  mistreat  his  honored  father  and  his  breth- 
ren. And  though  inexperienced  in  religious  polem- 
ics, like  David,  he  was  ready  to  meet  any  Goliath 
who  would  champion  what  he  believed  to  be  the 
wrong.  Accordingly,  at  the  semi-annual  meeting  of 
the  Association  now  near  at  hand,  he  addressed 
a  large  audience,  setting  forth  its  spirit  and  pur- 
pose. 

Little  did  the  Synod  think  that  this  bold  youth 
who  thus  took  up  the  gauntlet  which  they  had 
thrown  down  would  soon  meet  and  overthrow 
the  greatest  champions  of  denominationalism  and 
infidelity  in  the  land.  They  never  dreamed  of  his 
extraordinary   power.     "But,"   as   Grafton  says, 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


71 


"Alexander  Campbell  was  no  ordinary  young  man. 
Like  Minerva,  who  stepped  full-grown  from  the 
brain  of  Jove,  he  stepped  upon  the  platform  an 
accomplished  speaker,  a  master  of  assemblies, 
already  possessed  with  the  power  to  sway  men's 
hearts." 


nized  leader.  It  was  his  voice  which  first  pointed 
out  the  sin  of  division  and  the  way  to  union  in 
Christ.  It  was  his  pen  which  wrote  the  "Declaration 
and  Address,"  the  most  important  production  of  the 
age.  But  henceforth  the  son,  without  edict  of  church 
or  council,  and  without  conference  with  the  father, 
takes  his  honored  and  responsible  place.  The  day 
had  come  when  the  opposition  had  grown  so  strong 
and  tyrannical  that  a  more  aggressive  leader  was 
needed,  and  the  father  instinctively  and  gladly 
stepped  to  the  rear,  and,  as  he  passed,  he  threw  his 
mantle  over  the  shoulders  of  his  son. 

The  change  came  by  the  direction  of  God. 
These  were  providential  men  about  whom  we 
are  speaking.  Thomas  Campbell  was  by  nature 
and  training  the  man  to  discover  the  need  of  the 
religious  world.  But  it  required  one  less  averse 
to  conflict,  and  less  concerned  about  immediate 
results,  to  apply  the  remedy.  A  bold,  strong,  dar- 
ing leader  was  needed,  and  his  son,  Alexander, 
was  the  man  for  the  hour.  But  this  does  not 
reflect  unfavorably  on  the  father.    It  is  no  reflec- 


3.  Positions  of 
Father  and  Son 
Reversed 


At  the  close  of  his  great  ad- 
dress the  positions  of  the  father 
and  son  were  reversed.  Until 
now  the  father  was  the  recog- 


72 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


tion  on  the  surveyor  of  a  great  highway  that 
another  is  called  to  build  the  road.  Is  John  the 
Baptist  any  less  a  hero  because  as  the  "Morning 
Star"  he  was  eclipsed  by  the  "Sun  of  Righteous- 
ness"? Is  it  not  honor  enough  for  the  father  that 
he  wrought  out  the  platform  of  the  greatest  relig- 
ious movement  since  the  apostolic  age,  and  trained 
a  son  to  present  it  successfully  to  men?  It  was 
Jehovah's  plan  that  the  father  should  lay  the  foun- 
dation and  the  son  should  build  thereon. 


They  called  it  "Brush  Run."  It  was  veritably  a 
church  in  the  wilderness.  This  step  was  not  of 
choice,  but  of  compulsion.  They  could  not  other- 
wise enjoy  their  religious  privileges,  or  perform 
their  sacred  obligations.  The  organization  was 
effected  May  4,  1811,  with  a  membership  of  thirty. 
Thomas  Campbell  was  elected  elder;  John  Dawson, 
George  Sharp,  William  Gilchrist  and  James  Foster 
were  chosen  deacons.  On  January  1,  1812,  Alex- 
ander Campbell  was  ordained  as  a  preacher. 

At  their  first  meeting,  June  16,  Alexander 
Campbell  preached  and  the  Lord's  Supper  followed. 
Several  of  the  members  declined  the  emblems,  and, 
on  inquiry  as  to  the  cause,  it  was  learned  that  as 
they  had  not  been  baptized  they  felt  they  had  no 
right  to  them.  It  was  also  discovered  that  nothing 
but  immersion  would  satisfy  them.  Neither  of  the 
Campbells  had  been  immersed,  but  as  their  plan 
was  to  make  this  a  question  of  forbearance,  allow- 


4.  The  Church  in 
the  Wilderness 


After  the  failure  of  this  well- 
meant  effort  there  was  no  course 
open  but  to  organize  a  church. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


73 


ing  each  one  to  settle  it  for  himself,  without  dis- 
cussion, they  were  buried  with  their  Lord  in  the 
waters  of  Buffalo  Creek. 

_  Let  us  pause  for  a  moment 

5.  Progress  ,  , 

and  note  some  steps  of  progress 

that  had  been  made  thus  far: 

a.  They  Had  Discovered  that  the  Church 
Was  Sick.  This  was  important,  for  men  will  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  doctor  until  convinced  that 
they  are  sick.  How  many  consumptives  might  have 
lived  longer  but  for  a  fatal  error  at  this  point. 

b.  They  Had  Located  the  Causes  of  Her 
Sickness.  Among  these  causes  were  division, 
absence  of  love  for  each  other  among  these  divi- 
sions, a  beclouded  theology,  human  creeds  and 
rank  infidelity.  A  correct  diagnosis  is  of  the 
greatest  importance. 

c.  They  Had  Found  the  Remedy.  Union  in 
the  Christ  with  the  Bible  as  the  basis  of  authority. 
This  meant  the  restoration  of  the  New  Testament 
Church,  the  most  important  of  all. 

This  was  remarkable  progress,  all  things  con- 
sidered. This  heroic  little  band,  our  "Pilgrim 
Fathers,"  saw  not  fully  the  way  they  were  going, 
but  well  they  knew  their  Guide.  They  had  dis- 
covered a  few  of  the  fundamental  principles  and 
had  embraced  them  with  their  whole  hearts.  Other 
questions,  such  as  the  plan  of  salvation  and  the 
action  and  meaning  of  baptism,  which  afterwards 
loomed  up  large,  had  scarcely  been  thought  of.  But 
the  leaven  was  in  the  lump,  and  time  would  do  the 
rest   It  is  not  so  important  where  a  man  is  as  the 


74 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


direction  in  which  he  is  headed.  These  men  were 
a  long  way  from  the  Apostolic  Church,  but  their 
loins  were  girded,  the  pillar  of  light  was  leading, 
and  they  were  headed  in  that  direction. 

Alexander  Campbell  was  married  to  Miss  Mar- 
garet Brown,  daughter  of  John  Brown,  of  Brooke 
County,  Virginia  (now  West  Virginia),  March  13, 
1811.  Just  one  year  later  a  little  girl  came  into  the 
home,  and  brought  them  many  blessings,  among 
them  a  demand  that  the  question  of  infant  baptism 
be  restudied.  Questions  are  never  settled  until  they 
are  settled  right.  Like  Banquo's  ghost,  they  refuse 
to  down  until  they  are  downed  according  to  the 
eternal  principles  of  truth. 

As  already  seen,  the  Campbells  had  decided  that 
this  was  to  be  a  question  of  forbearance,  each  one 
deciding  it  for  himself.  "As  I  am  sure,"  said 
Alexander  Campbell,  "it  is  unscriptural  to  make 
this  matter  a  test  of  communion,  I  let  it  slip.  I 
wish  to  think  and  let  think  on  these  matters."  Here 
is  proof  of  the  fact  that  we  often  look  at  a  thing, 
but  do  not  see  it.  Two  things  are  essential  to 
sight — the  object  and  the  angle.  There  is  an  angle 
in  which  light  is  absorbed  by  an  object,  and  there 
is  one  in  which  it  is  reflected  by  it,  hence  an  object 
is  visible  or  invisible,  important  or  unimportant, 
according  to  the  viewpoint.  This  question,  as  seen 
from  the  viewpoint  of  their  education  and  inherit- 
ance, was  not  to  be  neglected,  but  it  was  not  to  be 
made  a  test  of  fellowship.  Most  of  the  members 
at  Brush  Run  had  been  baptized  in  infancy,  and 
thought  they  had  done  their  duty  in  the  matter. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


75 


Thomas  Campbell,  expressing  the  prevailing  idea 
on  the  subject,  said  that  "it  was  not  necessary 
for  them  to  go,  as  it  were,  out  of  the  church  mere- 
ly for  the  purpose  of  coming  in  again  by  the  regular 
and  appointed  way." 

But  a  baby  is  a  revolutionizing  power  in  the 
home.  Until  it  comes,  the  whole  great  question  of 
babyhood,  one  of  the  truly  great  questions  of  the 
world,  is  treated  theoretically.  And  if  there  is  any 
one  better  qualified  to  deal  with  it  than  another, 
it  is  the  one  who  has  had  no  experience  with  it. 
But  after  the  baby  arrives,  the  question  ceases  to  be 
theoretical,  and  becomes  most  intensely  practical. 
The  ancestors  of  this  particular  child  had  for 
generations  been  believers  in  infant  baptism.  But 
the  grandfather  and  father  had  solemnly  agreed 
that  all  religious  questions  should  be  settled  by  the 
Bible.  Their  motto  was:  "Where  the  Bible  speaks, 
we  speak;  where  the  Bible  is  silent,  we  are  silent." 
Hence  they  turn  to  the  old  Book  for  light.  Being 
a  thorough  Greek  scholar,  the  father  went  into  the 
original  with  his  investigations.  He  was  soon 
satisfied  that  a  penitent  believer  was  the  only  Bible 
subject  of  baptism.  He  was  startled  and  stunned 
at  the  discovery,  but  he  had  the  courage  of  his 
convictions,  and  it  was  once  for  all  accepted.  He 
did  not  stop  here,  but  pressed  his  investigations 
into  the  meaning  of  the  original  word,  and  in  a 
little  while  was  convinced  that  it  meant  immersion. 
He  paused  for  a  moment,  dazed  and  shocked,  but 
it  was  only  for  a  moment.  His  ancestral  faith, 
hoary  with  age  and  honors,  was  being  destroyed, 


76 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


and  he  could  not  witness  the  scene  except  with  deep 
emotion.  But,  being  a  logician,  he  saw  that  bad 
as  these  two  discoveries  were,  the  worst  was  yet 
to  come.  If  neither  affusion  nor  infant  baptism 
was  in  the  Book,  then  he  had  never  been  baptized. 
The  wife  fully  agreed  with  her  husband,  and  they 
lost  no  time  in  adjusting  themselves  to  the  new 
light  shining  on  their  pathway.  Matthias  Luce,  a 
Baptist  preacher,  agreed  to  immerse  them.  The 
son,  always  thoughtful  of  his  father,  apprized  him 
of  his  purpose,  before  taking  the  step.  He  was 
rather  reticent,  but,  knowing  the  competency  of  his 
son,  both  in  scholarship  and  character,  to  settle  such 
questions,  he  interposed  no  objections. 

The  agitation  in  the  Campbell  family  on  the 
subject  of  baptism  was  widespread,  and  yet  there 
had  been  no  conferences  on  the  subject.  Dorothea, 
a  sister  of  Alexander,  told  her  brother  that  she  had 
been  reading  her  Bible  carefully,  and  was  convinced 
that  it  did  not  teach  infant  baptism,  and  she  asked 
him  to  speak  to  her  father  about  it.  The  brother, 
smiling,  told  her  that  he  and  his  wife  had  reached 
the  same  conclusion,  and  that  he  was  then  on  his 
way  to  see  Mr.  Luce  about  baptizing  them.  Here 
is  another  proof  that  God  was  moving  on  the 
hearts  of  the  people  and  leading  them  to  the  truth 
as  it  was  in  the  Scriptures. 

June  12,  1812,  was  the  day  of  the  baptisms,  and 
Buffalo  Creek  the  place.  Mr.  Luce,  on  his  way  to 
Buffalo,  spent  the  night  with  Thomas  Campbell. 
The  next  morning,  as  they  were  about  to  start  to 
the  water,  Mr.  Campbell  told  him  that  he  and  his 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


77 


wife,  after  a  thorough  study  of  the  question,  had 
decided  to  be  immersed.  This  was  the  first  intima- 
tion to  others  that  the  older  people  had  also  been 
involved  in  the  baptismal  agitation,  and  it  added 
greatly  to  the  interest  of  the  subject. 

The  prominence  of  the  parties  to  be  baptized, 
and  the  novelty  of  the  scene  (for  Baptists  were  not 
numerous  in  that  section),  attracted  an  immense 
audience  to  the  home  of  David  Bryant,  near  the 
Buffalo.  Thomas  Campbell,  in  an  elaborate  address, 
gave  the  reasons  resulting  in  this  action,  and  said 
they  must  walk  in  the  light  as  God  had  it  shine  on 
their  way.  Alexander  followed  in  a  strong  address, 
emphasizing  the  two  points  that  immersion  alone 
was  Bible  baptism,  and  that  the  penitent  believer 
was  the  only  proper  subject  of  the  ordinance. 
James  Hanen  and  wife  were  convinced  by  this 
address,  and  the  seven  were  baptized  by  Mr.  Luce 
on  this  occasion. 

Mr.  Campbell  at  this  time  took  another  advanced 
step  in  the  restoration  of  the  primitive  practice.  He 
and  Mr.  Luce  had  agreed  that  the  ordinance  should 
be  in  strict  harmony  with  apostolic  custom,  and 
as  there  was  no  precedent  for  the  "religious  ex- 
perience" practiced  by  Baptists  as  a  prerequisite 
for  baptism,  this  was  to  be  omitted,  and  the  con- 
fession made  by  Peter  at  Caesarea  Philippi,  "Thou 
art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God"  (Matt. 
16:17,  18),  would  be  substituted  in  its  place.  Mr. 
Luce  hesitated  here,  not  because  the  change  sug- 
gested was  not  Biblical,  but  because  it  was  not 
according  to  "Baptist  usage" ;  but  he  finally  yielded, 


78 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


saying  that  he  believed  it  to  be  right,  and  he  would 
do  his  duty  and  risk  the  censure  likely  to  be  heaped 
upon  him.  And  so,  perhaps,  here  for  the  first 
time  "the  good  confession,"  as  practiced  by  the 
early  Church,  was  honored  and  emphasized  on 
American  soil. 

The  influence  of  this  meeting  was  immediate 
and  widespread.  On  the  next  Lord's  Day  at  Brush 
Run  thirteen  others  made  "the  good  confession," 
and  were  baptized  by  Thomas  Campbell.  Many 
others  followed  their  example,  and  in  a  short  time 
the  church  was  composed  almost  entirely  of  bap- 
tized believers.  But  a  few  turned  away  from  them, 
refusing  to  discredit  the  faith  of  their  ancestry. 
They  could  agree  on  everything  except  baptism,  and 
so  Richardson  well  says  that  "immersion,  apt 
emblem  of  separation  from  the  world,  occasioned 
a  separation  between  those  who  had  been  pre- 
viously united  in  religious  fellowship." 

They  were  making  rapid  progress  in  their  search 
for  the  "old  paths."  The  discovery  of  one  truth 
led  to  the  discovery  of  others.  They  were  like 
travelers  in  a  forest.  Often  the  finding  of  a  single 
dim  path  leads  to  others  not  so  dim,  till  finally 
they  are  on  a  well-beaten  roadway  which  is  easily 
followed.  We  have  already  seen  three  impor- 
tant discoveries,  and  now  we  see  three  others. 
The  first  three  are  general  in  their  character,  but 
these  have  to  do  with  the  details  in  giving  one's 
self  to  God.    They  are: 

1.  That  immersion  is  the  baptism  of  the  Bible. 
They  had  received  without  question  the  faith  of 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


79 


their  fathers  for  generations.  But  when  forced 
to  study  the  matter  for  themselves,  as  honest 
scholars,  they  saw  at  once  that  immersion  alone 
was  taught  in  the  Book,  and  that  affusion  was  of 
a  later  date,  and  of  human  origin. 

2.  That  the  penitent  believer  zvas  the  only  proper 
subject  of  baptism.  The  baptism  of  infants,  like 
sprinkling  and  pouring,  had  been  practiced  so  long 
that  it  would  have  been  almost  sacrilegious  to  ques- 
tion its  validity.  But  when  they  were  compelled 
to  find  Bible  authority  for  the  baptism  of  their 
baby,  or  leave  it  unbaptized,  again,  as  conscientious 
scholars,  they  had  to  abandon  one  of  their  most 
cherished  traditions. 

3.  That  "the  good  confession,"  made  from  the 
heart,  was  the  sole  condition  preceding  baptism. 
They  saw  that  Christ  was  the  only  Saviour  of 
men,  and  when  the  lost  would  come  to  him  they 
were  not  required  to  relate  a  "Christian  experience," 
a  thing  impossible  for  the  sinner,  but  to  confess 
him  as  their  personal  Saviour,  and,  on  the  confes- 
sion of  faith,  be  baptized  into  his  name. 

As  Alexander  is  now  the  recognized  leader 
of  the  great  work  inaugurated  by  his  father,  it  is 
well  that  we  hear  a  word  from  him  on  the  ques- 
tions before  them  at  this  time.  In  giving  his 
reasons  for  not  being  a  "party  man,"  he  said: 

1.  "Because  Christ  has  forbidden  me.  He  has 
commanded  us  to  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit;  to 
be  of  one  mind  and  one  judgment;  and  to  call  no 
man  master  on  the  earth." 

2.  "Because  no  party  would  receive  into  com- 


80 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


munion  all  whom  God  would  receive  into  heaven. 
God  loves  his  children  more  than  our  creeds." 

3.  "But  if  I  am  asked  by  a  partisan,  'Could 
you  not  join  us  and  let  these  things  alone?'  I 
answer,  No,  because — 

"(1)  The  man  who  promotes  the  interest  of  a 
party  stands  next  in  guilt  to  the  man  that  made 
it.  The  man  that  puts  the  second  stone  on  a  build- 
ing is  as  instrumental  in  its  erection  as  the  man 
that  laid  the  first. 

"(2)  All  parties  oppose  reformation.  They  all 
pray  for  it,  but  will  not  work  for  it.  None  of 
them  dare  to  return  to  the  original  standard.  I 
speak  not  against  any  particular  denomination,  but 
against  all." 

These  clear-cut  utterances  show  that  this  young 
man  was  not  simply  a  religious  zealot,  but  a 
philosopher,  with  an  intelligent  appreciation  of  the 
mighty  task  to  which  his  Master  had  called  him. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


81 


Review. 

1.  What  of  Alexander  Campbell's  first  two 
sermons  ? 

2.  Tell  of  the  experience  of  the  Campbells  with 
the  Pittsburgh  Synod. 

3.  Tell  of  the  change  of  leaders. 

4.  What  of  the  organization  of  the  Brush 
Run  Church? 

5.  Name  four  points  of  progress. 

6.  Tell  of  the  marriage  of  A.  Campbell. 

7.  What  of  the  struggle  with  the  baptismal 
question  ? 

8.  Tell  of  the  immersion  of  the  Campbells. 

9.  What  of  the  effect  on  Brush  Run  Church? 

10.  Name  three  other  points  of  progress. 

11.  Why  was  A.  Campbell  not  a  "party  man"? 


6 


-  ■v. 


V. 

INTO  AND  OUT  OF  THE 
BAPTIST  CHURCH 


83 


OUTLINE— CHAPTER  V. 


1.  Immediate  Results. 

a.  Enemies. 

b.  Friends. 

c.  Influence. 

d.  Lessons. 

2.  Sermon  on  the  Law. 

3.  "Christian  Baptist." 

a.  Name. 

b.  Prospectus. 

c.  ''Bethany/' 

d.  Influence. 

e.  Raking  Fire. 

f.  Destructive  and  Constructive. 

4.  "Millennial  Harbinger." 

5.  Into  the  Mahoning  Association. 

a.  Eagle  in  a  Storm. 

b.  Great  Lieutenants. 

c.  Scott's  Signal  Honor. 

d.  Tidal  Wave. 

6.  Out  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

7.  Causes  of  Separation. 

a.  Divisions  of  the  Bible. 

b.  Design  of  Baptism. 

c.  Conversion. 

d.  Creeds. 

e.  Administration  of  Baptism. 
/.  Reception  of  Members. 

g.  Call  to  the  Ministry. 

h.  Lord's  Supper. 


V. 


Into  and  Out  of  the  Baptist  Church. 


x.  Immediate  Re- 
sults 


a.  Enemies.  The  change  of 
the  Brush  Run  Church  into  a 
society  of  immersed  believers  nat- 


urally produced  both  enemies  and  friends — enemies 
among  Presbyterians  and  friends  among  Baptists. 
The  community  was  strongly  pedobaptist,  and  the 
clergy,  already  displeased  with  Mr.  Campbell's 
teaching,  aroused  and  cultivated  a  bitter  opposition 
against  him.  Their  influence  then  was  great — much 
greater  than  to-day — and  the  very  atmosphere  was 
impregnated  with  suspicion  and  misrepresentation. 
Friendships  were  sundered,  business  relations  were 
disturbed,  and  homes  were  made  unhappy.  It  even 
invaded  the  sacred  places  of  public  worship.  More 
than  once,  when  Thomas  Campbell  was  baptizing, 
sticks  and  stones  were  thrown  into  the  water, 
accompanied  with  threats  of  physical  violence.  But 
he  always  preserved  the  dignity  and  spirit  of  the 
Christian  gentleman,  and  thus  turned  the  coarse 
indignities  into  a  blessing  for  himself  and  the 
cause  he  plead.  But  it  is  significant  that  his  son 
had  no  such  annoyances  at  his  meetings.  There  was 
something  in  the  tone  of  his  voice  and  in  the 
flash  of  his  eye  that  forbade  them,  however  bitter 
the   feelings  of   his   enemies.     He  was   a  born 


85 


86 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


leader  of  men,  and  this  power  to  cower  an  insolent 
foe  was  a  part  of  his  equipment  as  such. 

b.  Friends.  But  over  against  this  opposition 
there  was  a  corresponding  sympathy  among  the 
Baptists.  They  were  not  numerous  in  the  vicinity 
of  Brush  Run,  but  eastward  on  the  Monongahela 
River,  and  in  the  fertile  valleys  at  the  base  of  the 
Alleghany  Mountains,  they  were  sufficiently  so  to 
have  an  Association,  called  Redstone,  named  for 
an  old  Indian  fort  sixty  miles  above  Pittsburgh, 
where  Brownsville  is  now  situated.  This  Associa- 
tion urged  Brush  Run  to  enter  their  fellowship, 
claiming  that  they  held  enough  in  common  to  jus- 
tify the  union.  They  felt  a  pardonable  pride  in  the 
fact  that  these  two  strong  and  scholarly  men,  after 
thorough  investigation,  had  adopted  their  views  on 
the  action  and  subjects  of  baptism.  But  the  Camp- 
bells, remembering  their  experience  with  the  Pres- 
byterians, were  a  little  shy.  However,  after  much 
thought  and  prayer,  and  still  anxious  to  avoid 
even  the  appearance  of  forming  a  new  denomina- 
tion, they  decided,  on  certain  conditions,  to  enter 
the  Redstone  Association.  This  matter  was 
brought  before  the  Brush  Run  Church  in  the 
autumn  of  1813,  and  it  was  decided  to  accept  the 
invitation  from  their  Baptist  brethren  on  the  condi- 
tion that  they  be  "allowed  to  teach  and  preach  what- 
ever they  learned  from  the  Holy  Scriptures," 
"regardless  of  any  creed  or  formula  in  Christen- 
dom." This  decision  was  presented  to  the  Associa- 
tion, and  after  considerable  discussion  it  was  voted 
to  receive  them. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


87 


c.  Increased  Influence.  After  this  the  Baptist 
churches  were  thrown  open  to  Mr.  Campbell,  and 
his  services  were  sought  far  and  wide  by  his  new 
brethren,  and,  mounted  on  his  faithful  horse,  he 
gladly  responded  to  the  calls.  Wherever  he  went 
he  was  bold  to  make  known  his  peculiar  views.  He 
would  hide  nothing  from  them.  He  discussed  such 
questions  as  the  place  and  purpose  of  baptism;  the 
Lord's  Supper;  regeneration;  conversion;  Christian 
union ;  the  covenants ;  the  law  and  the  gospel,  etc. 
Great  audiences  flocked  to  hear  him,  and  friends 
were  made  by  the  thousands.  He  soon  was 
regarded  as  the  leading  champion  of  their  cause, 
and  when  they  needed  a  special  representative  on 
important  occasions  they  turned  to  him.  At  their 
request  he  met  in  debate  Rev.  John  Walker,  at  Mt. 
Pleasant,  Ohio,  in  1820,  and  Rev.  William  McCalla, 
both  Presbyterians,  at  Washington,  Kentucky,  in 
1822.  These  discussions  added  greatly  to  his  pres- 
tige as  a  scholar,  orator  and  polemic,  and  his  Bap- 
tist brethren  drew  nearer  to  him,  and  began  to 
take  him  more  fully  into  their  confidence.  At  a 
private  conference  with  a  number  of  the  preachers 
at  the  close  of  the  McCalla  debate,  he  candidly 
but  kindly  said  to  them:  "Brethren,  I  fear  that  if 
you  knew  me  better  you  would  esteem  and  love  me 
less,  for  let  me  tell  you  that  I  have  almost  as  much 
against  you  Baptists  as  I  have  against  the  Presby- 
terians." 

d.  Important  Lessons.  Mr.  Campbell  learned 
two  important  lessons  from  the  discussions :  First, 
their  value  as  educational  agencies.     "A  week's 


88 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


debating,"  he  said,  "is  worth  a  year's  preaching;" 
and,  second,  the  value  of  the  printing-press  in  dis- 
seminating truth.  Both  debates  were  published  in 
book  form,  and  wherever  they  went  they  were  like 
torchlights  among  the  people,  who  were  generally 
in  the  dark  on  the  questions  discussed. 


hounded  his  every  step,  and  who  were  always  on 
the  lookout  for  some  new  charge  against  him.  As 
a  rule,  they  were  small  men,  filled  with  envy,  and 
not  overscrupulous  in  their  methods.  At  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Redstone  Association  at  Cross  Creek, 
Virginia,  in  1816,  he  preached  his  famous  "Ser- 
mon on  the  Law,"  which  proved  to  be  the  enter- 
ing wedge  of  separation  between  him  and  the 
Baptists.  Such  a  sermon  to-day  would  not  pro- 
duce the  same  results,  for  there  has  been  much 
progress  in  all  the  churches  during  the  century 
since  then,  and  mainly  because  of  this  sermon;  but 
then  it  was  like  a  firebrand,  and  these  enemies 
seized  upon  it,  perverted  it,  and  turned  many  against 
its  author. 

No  single  sermon  ever  delivered  by  this  mighty 
preacher  had  the  effect  of  this  one.  It  was  epoch- 
making.  Here,  for  the  first  time,  he  drew  clearly 
the  difference  between  the  law  and  the  gospel,  which 
proved  in  after  years  an  impregnable  bulwark  in 
his  conflicts  with  religious  error.  The  law  was  tem- 
porary and  local,  but  the  gospel  was  for  all  time, 
and  universal.    The  antitype  had  given  way  to  the 


2.  Sermon  on  the 
Law 


But  trouble  was  brewing  for 
Mr.  Campbell  in  the  Baptist  fold. 
He    had    some    enemies  who 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


89 


type,  and  the  shadow  to  the  substance.  As  a  sys- 
tem the  law  had  waxed  old  and  passed  away. 
Only  the  ethical,  which  was  necessarily  immortal, 
remained.  The  Patriarchal  dispensation  was  the 
starlight;  the  Jewish  dispensation  was  the  moon- 
light; that  of  John  the  Baptist  was  the  twilight; 
and  the  Christian  dispensation,  beginning  with  the 
coronation  of  the  Christ  and  the  descent  of  the 
Spirit  at  Pentecost,  was  the  full  sunlight.  The 
Patriarchs  had  the  bud;  the  Jews  had  the  blossom; 
the  Christian  has  the  matured  fruit  of  divine 
grace. 


devoted  to  religious  culture.  He  did  not  like  the 
name  given  to  the  journal,  but  accepted  it  on  the 
suggestion  of  his  father  and  Walter  Scott,  as  an 
effort  at  conciliation.  These  brethren  urged  that 
since  their  work  was  largely  among  the  Baptists, 
to  use  their  name  would  be  pleasing  to  them,  and 
to  modify  it  by  the  word  "Christian"  would  prevent 
it  from  being  regarded  as  denominational. 

b.  The  Prospectus.  The  prospectus  was  clear 
and  candid:  "The  Christian  Baptist  shall  espouse 
the  cause  of  no  religious  sect,  except  the  ancient 
sect  called  Christians  first  at  Antioch.  Its  sole 
object  shall  be  the  eviction  of  the  truth  and  the 
exposing  of  error  in  doctrine  and  practice.  The 
editor,  acknowledging  no  standard  of  faith  other 
than  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  and  the  latter 
as  the  standard  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ, 


a.  The  Name.    In  1823  Mr. 


3.  The  "Christian 
Baptist" 


Campbell  established  the  Chris- 
tian Baptist,  a  monthly  journal 


90 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


will,  intentionally  at  least,  oppose  nothing  which  it 
contains,  and  recommend  nothing  which  it  does 
not  enjoin."  The  enterprise  was  pushed  with 
vigor.  A  building  was  erected  near  his  home, 
presses  and  type  were  bought,  printers  were  em- 
ployed, and  a  regular  publishing-house  was  estab- 
lished, which  had  a  successful  history  of  more  than 
forty  years.  The  industry  and  working  capacity 
of  the  editor  are  seen  in  the  fact  that  his  preaching 
increased  rather  than  diminished  with  the  advent 
of  the  paper;  he  attended  to  an  immense  corre- 
spondence; supervised  the  publishing  department; 
and  for  recreation  he  directed  the  work  of  his  fine 
farm  on  the  Buffalo. 

c.  The  Name  "Bethany."  It  was  in  connec- 
tion with  the  publication  of  this  journal  that  the 
name  "Bethany,"  a  name  inseparably  associated 
with  the  life  and  labors  of  Mr.  Campbell,  came 
into  use.  In  the  beginning,  when  the  circulation 
was  small,  the  paper  was  carried  to  West  Liberty, 
a  little  village  four  miles  away,  and  mailed  from 
that  point.  But  the  circulation  increased  rapidly, 
and  this  plan  became  so  inconvenient  and  burden- 
some that  Mr.  Campbell  had  a  post-office  estab- 
lished in  his  home  and  called  it  "Bethany,"  and 
for  the  next  thirty  years  he  was  the  postmaster. 

d.  Influence.  The  influence  of  the  Christian 
Baptist  was  remarkable.  The  brilliant  and  fear- 
less editor  was  a  sort  of  free  lance,  resembling 
Elijah  and  John  the  Baptist.  Religious  circles  were 
stirred  to  the  center,  and  fast  friends  and  furious 
foes  gathered  about  him,  and  his  influence  was 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


91 


multiplied  many-fold.  Bible  reading  became  the 
order  of  the  day,  and,  like  the  Bereans,  the  people 
searched  the  Scriptures  daily  to  see  if  the  strange, 
new  things  he  said  were  true.  The  characteristic 
atmosphere  was  no  longer  stagnation,  but  agitation. 
There  was  no  such  thing  as  sitting  on  the  fence. 
Neutrality  was  impossible.  Men  had  to  take  sides. 
Preachers  denounced  it  and  warned  their  people 
against  reading  it,  but  they  read  it  all  the  more, 
and  converts  were  numerous,  and  many  of  them 
were  the  strongest  men  of  the  land;  such  men  as 
P.  S.  Fall,  James  Challen  and  D.  S.  Burnet. 

e.  Raking  Fire.  The  paper  kept  up  a  raking 
fire  all  along  the  line,  but  was  especially  severe  at 
certain  points.  The  editor  was  hard  on  the  profes- 
sional clergy  and  handled  them  without  gloves.  He 
characterized  them  as  "hireling  priests,"  "textuary 
divines,"  our  "scrap  doctors,"  etc.  Elijah  at  Mt. 
Carmel  was  not  more  sarcastic.  He  charged  them 
with  ignorance,  pride,  self-seeking,  and  an  anxiety 
to  keep  the  people  in  darkness  so  that  they  might 
lord  it  over  them.  He  scored  them  for  their  clerical 
dress,  their  sanctimonious  speech,  their  long-faced 
piety,  their  devotion  to  party,  and  their  claim  to 
a  special  divine  call.  He  denounced  with  special 
severity  their  love  of  titles:  "Reverend,"  "bishop," 
"doctor"  and  "father." 

He  was  severe  in  his  condemnation  of  the 
tendency  to  legislate,  as  seen  in  many  of  the  conven- 
tions, synods  and  associations.  Such  gatherings  for 
mutual  edification,  exhortation  and  co-operation  he 
encouraged,  but  he  opposed  their  tyranny  and  law- 


92 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


making  proclivities,  and  urged  the  churches  to  guard 
most  sacredly  their  Christ-given  liberty. 

Human  creeds  were  handled  roughly  by  him. 
The  "Philadelphia  Confession"  was  popular  among 
Baptists,  and  those  who  ignored  it  could  have  no 
fellowship  in  their  associations.  The  Redstone 
Association  at  one  time  refused  to  admit  fourteen 
congregations  because  the  letters  of  their  messen- 
gers failed  to  avow  allegiance  to  the  "Confession." 
This  was  at  their  meeting  in  1827,  to  which  Mr. 
Campbell  was  sent  as  a  corresponding  messenger 
from  the  Mahoning  Association.  The  editor 
denounced  them  as  misnomers,  declaring  that  they 
were  not  confessions  of  faith,  but  of  opinions. 

/.  Destructive  and  Constructive.  But  the 
work  of  the  Christian  Baptist  was  not  simply 
destructive,  but  also  constructive.  Its  editor  was 
not  an  iconoclast.  He  only  destroyed  that  he  might 
build  something  better.  His  paper  was  always 
loaded  to  the  guard  with  great  dissertations  on  the 
fundamental  questions  of  the  religious  life;  notably 
among  these  was  a  series  of  editorials  called  "The 
Ancient  Order  of  Things,"  expounding  the  apos- 
tolic faith  and  practice,  which  attracted  wide  atten- 
tion, and  produced  much  commendation  and  con- 
demnation. 


the  Millennial  Harbinger,  a  monthly  journal  double 
its  size,  which  continued  till  after  the  death  of  Mr. 
Campbell  in  1865.    No  religious  paper  of  that  day, 


4.  "Millennial 
Harbinger" 


In  1830,  after  a  remarkable 
career  of  seven  years,  the 
Christian  Baptist  gave  place  to 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


93 


and  possibly  no  one  of  any  day,  ever  had  a  greater 
influence  in  molding  thought  than  did  this  one  dur- 
ing these  seven  years. 


as  the  leaders  could  not  refute  it,  they  redoubled 
their  energies  to  close  the  mouth  of  its  author. 
He  was  tried  for  heresy,  but  acquitted.  But  their 
zeal,  worthy  of  a  better  cause,  was  increased  rather 
than  decreased  by  defeat.  They  circulated  all 
manner  of  reports  about  him,  not  only  involving 
his  doctrinal  standing,  but  his  moral  character  also. 
At  last,  wearied  with  this  continual  strife,  the 
Brush  Run  Church  withdrew  and  united  with  the 
Mahoning  Baptist  Association  of  eastern  Ohio. 
About  this  time  (August,  1823)  Mr.  Campbell  and 
about  thirty  others,  mainly  from  Brush  Run,  or- 
ganized a  church  at  Wellsburg,  Virginia,  now  West 
Virginia,  the  second  congregation  in  the  Restoration 
Movement.  The  wisdom  of  this  change  was  mani- 
fest in  the  fact  that  the  Mahoning  Association  soon 
wheeled  into  line  with  the  work  of  the  Campbells. 

a.  Eagle  in  a  Storm.  Mr.  Campbell,  like  an 
eagle  in  a  storm,  only  rose  the  higher  and  soared 
the  more  grandly  because  of  the  furious  winds 
shrieking  about  him.  In  his  new  journal  he  was 
proving  himself  as  powerful  with  the  pen  as  he 
was  in  the  pulpit,  and  the  work  went  forward  with 
leaps  and  bounds.  In  Kentucky  men  like  "Rac- 
coon" John  Smith,  P.  S.  Fall,  John  T.  Johnson, 


5.  Into  the 
Mahoning  Asso- 
ciation 


The  great  "Sermon  on  the 
Law"  was  the  straw  which  broke 
the  camel's  back.  The  masses 
were  carried  away  with  it,  and, 


94 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


the  Creaths,  Vardeman,  Morton,  etc.,  were  his 
magnetic  leaders.  Vardeman  baptized  550  people 
in  six  months;  Smith  baptized  339  in  six  weeks; 
John  Secrest  baptized  222  in  a  hundred  days;  and 
others  did  as  well. 

b.  Great  Lieutenants.  In  Ohio,  Adamson 
Bentley,  Walter  Scott,  William  Hodgen,  Joseph 
Gaston,  and  others,  aroused  the  people  from  their 
lethargy  and  rallied  them  under  the  new  banner. 
Mr.  Scott  became  the  evangelist  of  the  Mahoning 
Association  in  1827.  This  Association,  organized 
in  1820,  consisted  of  ten  Baptist  churches  (the 
number  later  was  doubled)  in  eastern  Ohio  near 
the  Pennsylvania  line,  and  between  the  Ohio  River 
and  Lake  Erie,  and  was  known  as  the  Western 
Reserve.  One  of  them  (Wellsburg)  was  in  Vir- 
ginia. It  had  a  choice  population,  mainly  from 
New  England.  Scott  was  a  remarkable  young  man, 
thirty  years  old,  and  a  born  evangelist.  He  was  a 
personal  friend  and  ardent  admirer  of  Mr.  Camp- 
bell. The  churches  were  spiritually  dead.  In  1825 
they  reported  only  sixteen  conversions.  But  God 
wrought  wonders  in  them  through  this  new  evangel- 
ist. He  was  a  close  student  of  the  Bible,  and  he 
resolved  to  preach  the  same  gospel  preached  by  the 
Apostles,  and  to  preach  it  in  the  same  way.  He 
would  adopt  not  only  their  message,  but  also  their 
method.  At  first  he  failed.  It  was  so  new  and 
novel  that  the  people,  astounded,  would  hear,  but 
would  not  obey.  But  he  persevered  and  God  gave 
him  the  victory.  A  tidal  wave  swept  through  the 
churches  and  the  first  year  there  were  one  thousand 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


95 


conversions.  And  during  the  next  two  years,  when 
his  labors  closed,  the  interest  and  enthusiasm 
increased,  and,  like  a  flood,  swept  everything  before 
it.  Not  only  individuals  by  hundreds  and  thousands 
were  saved,  but  often  entire  congregations  embraced 
"the  ancient  order  of  things."  Baptist  churches 
would  vote  out  the  "Philadelphia  Confession"  and 
substitute  the  Bible  in  its  place.  Presbyterians, 
Lutherans  and  Episcopalians  were  also  reached  in 
large  numbers.  The  Deerfield  Methodist  Church 
came  over  as  a  whole.  Mr.  Campbell,  like  a  great 
general,  kept  his  eye  on  the  field,  and  he  became 
alarmed  lest  the  burning  zeal  of  his  able  and  ardent 
lieutenant  should  lead  him  into  error;  and  he 
sent  his  father  to  visit  his  field  of  labor  to  see  and 
report  the  work.  From  New  Lisbon,  April  9, 
1828,  he  wrote  as  follows: 

"I  perceive  that  theory  and  practice  in  religion, 
as  in  other  things,  are  matters  of  distinct  consid- 
eration. We  have  spoken  and  written  many  things 
correctly  concerning  the  ancient  gospel,  but  I  must 
confess  that  in  respect  to  the  direct  application  of  it, 
I  am,  for  the  first  time,  on  the  ground  where  the 
thing  has  appeared  to  be  practically  exhibited  to 
the  proper  purpose.  Mr.  Scott  has  made  a  bold 
push  to  accomplish  this  object  by  simply  boldly 
stating  the  ancient  gospel,  and  insisting  upon  it." 

c.  Walter  Scott's  Signal  Honor.  This  means 
that  the  Campbells  had  discovered  the  panacea  for 
the  world's  sins,  but  they  had  not  practically  applied 
it.  And  let  it  be  said,  for  the  sake  of  truth  and 
to  the  glory  of  Walter  Scott,  that  he  was  the  first 


96 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


man  in  America,  if  not  in  the  world,  to  take  the 
field  notes  of  the  Apostles,  discovered  and  repub- 
lished by  the  Campbells,  and  run  and  apply  the 
original  survey,  beginning  at  Jerusalem. 

d.  Tidal  Wave.  And  what  was  true  in  Ken- 
tucky and  Ohio  was  also  true  on  a  smaller  scale 
in  Pennsylvania,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Missouri,  Ten- 
nessee and  Virginia.  The  Baptist  historian,  Bene- 
dict, speaking  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  says:  "It  increased  between 
three  and  four  hundred  members,  when  the  Camp- 
bellites  succeeded  in  making  proselytes  to  their 
views  of  nearly  the  whole  of  this  great  and  grow- 
ing interest.  The  pastor  and  people,  with  their 
chapel,  all  were  brought  under  the  influence  of  the 
Reformers."  The  New  York  Baptist  Register  of 
1830  says:  "Mr.  Campbell's  paper,  and  their  vigor- 
ous missionary  efforts,  are  making  great  achieve- 
ments. It  is  said  that  one-half  of  the  Baptist 
churches  of  Ohio  have  embraced  this  sentiment,  and 
become  what  they  call  Christian  Baptists.  It  is 
spreading  like  a  mighty  contagion  through  the 
Western  States,  wasting  Zion  in  its  progress."  An- 
other Baptist,  writing  to  Mr.  Campbell  in  1828,  said 
that  in  "traveling  twenty-five  hundred  miles  I 
found  only  four  regular  Baptist  preachers  whom 
you  have  not  corrupted." 


as  his  influence  increased,  but  it  was  also  turned 
against  his  converts  who  came  from  the  churches. 


6.  Out  of  the 
Baptist  Church 


The  opposition  to  the  work 
did  not  lessen  in  its  bitterness 
toward  Mr.  Campbell  personally 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


97 


This  was  especially  true  of  the  Baptists.  Mr. 
Campbell  knew  it,  and  he  kept  the  people  posted 
regarding  it.  Much  as  he  deplored  the  thought  of 
organizing  a  new  religious  body,  the  stubborn  facts 
facing  him  were  driving  him  to  the  conviction  that 
his  mission  could  not  be  fulfilled  within  the  narrow 
limits  of  any  denomination.  He  had  hoped  the 
Baptist  churches  would  return  to  apostolic  prac- 
tice and  become  the  nucleus  around  which  the 
religious  world  could  be  rallied,  but  his  hope  was 
growing  weaker  every  day.  Speaking  of  the 
probable  separation,  he  said: 

"If  there  be  division,  gentlemen,  you  make  it, 
not  I;  and  the  more  you  oppose  us  with  the  weight 
of  your  censure,  like  the  palm-tree,  we  will  grow 
the  faster.  I  am  for  peace,  for  union,  for  har- 
mony, for  co-operation  with  all  good  men.  But  I 
fear  you  not.  If  you  fling  firebrands,  arrows  and 
discord  into  the  army  of  the  faith,  you  will  repent 
it,  not  me.  You  will  lose  influence,  not  me.  We 
covet  not  persecution,  but  disregard  it.  We  fear 
nothing  but  error ;  and  should  you  proceed  to  make 
divisions,  you  will  find  that  they  will  reach  much 
farther  than  you  are  aware,  and  that  the  time  is  past 
when  an  anathema  will  produce  any  other  effect 
than  contempt  from  some  and  a  smile  from  others." 

And  finally  when  the  inevitable  came,  and  he 
and  his  brethren  were  forced  to  leave  the  Baptist 
fold,  he  said :  "All  the  world  must  see  that  we 
have  been  forced  into  a  separate  communion.  We 
were  driven  out  of  doors  because  we  preferred  the 
approbation  of  the  Lord  to  the  approbation  of 

7 


98 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


any  sect  in  Christendom.  If  this  be  our  weakness, 
we  ought  not  to  be  despised;  if  our  wisdom,  we 
ought  not  to  be  condemned.  We  have  lost  no 
peace  of  conscience,  none  of  the  honor  which  comes 
from  God,  none  of  the  enjoyments  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  nothing  of  the  sweets  of  Christian  com- 
munion, by  the  unkindness  of  those  who  once 
called  us  brethren. 

"  'More  true  joy  Marcellus  exiled  feels 
Then  Caesar  with  a  Senate  at  his  heels.' 

"We  have  always  sought  peace,  but  not  peace 
at  war  with  truth.  We  are  under  no  necessity 
to  crouch,  to  beg  for  favor,  friendship  or  protec- 
tion. Our  progress  is  onward,  upward  and  resist- 
less. With  the  fear  of  God  before  our  eyes,  with 
the  example  of  the  renowned  worthies  of  all  ages 
to  stimulate  our  exertions,  with  love  to  God  and 
man  working  in  our  bosoms,  and  immortality  in 
prospect,  we  have  nothing  to  fear,  and  nothing  to 
lose  that  is  worth  possessing." 

These  are  the  ringing  words  of  a  man  who 
believes  he  has  a  mission  and  who  is  determined,  re- 
gardless of  the  cost,  to  be  true  to  Him  from  whom 
he  received  it.  To  some  they  will  appear  to  be 
lacking  in  the  element  of  human  kindness.  But  it 
should  be  remembered  that  Mr.  Campbell  was  a 
young  man,  that  the  provocations  were  great  and 
that  his  enemies  had  seen  to  it  that  the  combative 
in  him  had  been  fully  cultivated.  When  an  old 
man,  mellowed  and  enriched  by  age  and  experience, 
his  tone  was  softer  and  sweeter,  and  he  regretted 
more  keenly  that  the  separation  ever  took  place. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


99 


The  causes  of  the  separation  were  both  doc- 
trinal and  practical.  Some  of  the  most  important 
of  the  doctrinal  causes  were  these: 

a.    Regarding   the  Proper 


on  the  Law"  was  preached,  this  point  was  empha- 
sized. Mr.  Campbell  did  not  discard  the  Old 
Testament,  as  often  charged  by  his  enemies,  but 
only  claimed  that  "the  handwriting  of  ordinances 
that  was  against  us,"  which  was  contrary  to  us, 
"and  which  by  Christ  was  taken  out  of  the  way, 
nailing  it  to  the  cross,"  was  not  binding  in  our 
day.  He  taught  that  the  Old  Testament,  as  much 
as  the  New,  came  from  God,  but  that  it  was  given 
specially  to  the  Jew,  and  not  to  the  whole  world, 
and  that  it  was  not  a  book  of  authority  to  the 
Christian,  except  as  its  teachings  were  incorporated 
in  the  New.  Of  course  its  moral  principles,  like 
their  author,  were  immortal.  But  the  Baptists 
insisted  on  the  equal  authority  of  both  books. 
Robert  Semple,  one  of  their  leaders,  said :  "I  aver 
that  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  are  essentially 
the  same  as  to  obligation,  and  stand  in  the  same 
relation  to  each  other  and  to  us  as  different  parts 
of  the  New  Testament  do  to  each  other."  But  Mr. 
Campbell  said  the  difference  was  like  that  between 
a  State  when  a  Territory,  and  when  later  it  became 
a  State.  The  Territorial  constitution  is  binding 
only  to  the  extent  that  it  is  re-enacted  in  the  consti- 
tution of  the  State. 

b.  Regarding  the  Design  of  Baptism.    In  his 


7.  Causes  of  the 
Separation 


Division  of  the  Bible.  As 
early  as  1816,  when  the  "Sermon 


100 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


debate  with  Walker  in  1820  Mr.  Campbell  asserted 
that  baptism  was  connected  with  remission  of  sins. 
In  his  debate  with  McCalla  three  years  later,  he 
made  the  same  argument  with  added  emphasis  and 
illustrations.  But  in  1830  he  made  a  distinction 
between  the  change  of  heart  and  the  change  of 
state.  "A  change  of  heart,"  he  said,  "though  it 
necessarily  precedes,  is  in  no  sense  equivalent  to, 
and  never  to  be  identified  with,  a  change  of  state." 
He  compared  it  with  the  marriage  ceremony,  which 
is  not  for  the  purpose  of  changing  the  hearts  of 
the  contracting  parties,  but  their  state  or  relation- 
ship, and  that  they  are  not  married,  however  great 
the  change  of  heart  toward  each  other,  until  this 
ceremony  has  taken  place.  The  Baptists  called 
this  "baptismal  regeneration,"  or  "water  salvation," 
and  rejected  it  as  the  baldest  and  boldest  kind  of 
heresy.  They  claimed  that  baptism  was  not  in 
order  to,  but  because  of,  remission  of  sins,  and 
therefore  it  did  not  precede,  but  followed,  forgive- 
ness of  sins. 

c.  Regarding  Conversion.  Baptists  were 
strongly  Calvinistic,  and  taught  that  man,  "dead  in 
trespasses  and  in  sins" — as  dead  spiritually  as 
Lazarus  was  physically — required  a  spiritual  mir- 
acle through  the  direct  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  order  to  spiritual  life,  just  as  it  required  a 
physical  miracle  to  give  life  to  the  body  of 
Lazarus.  Mr.  Campbell  claimed  that  his  death  in 
sin  did  not  destroy  his  power  of  choice,  otherwise 
he  would  not  be  responsible;  but  that  he  was  con- 
verted or  not,  not  because  of  some  miraculous 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


101 


power,  exerted  or  withheld,  but  because  of  his  own 
decision  in  the  matter. 

d.  Regarding  Creeds.  The  Baptist  believed 
that  human  creeds  were  essential  to  church  life,  and 
most  of  them  had  adopted  the  "Philadelphia  Con- 
fession." Mr.  Campbell  argued  that  creeds  had 
not  one  word  to  justify  them  in  the  Bible,  and  that 
their  use  had  also  condemned  them.  From  the 
first  they  had  been  the  prolific  source  of  division. 
The  Apostolic  Church,  organized  and  directed  by 
inspired  men,  had  no  such  creed. 

Some  of  the  most  serious  practical  differences 
were  these: 

e.  Regarding  the  Administration  of  Bap- 
tism. Baptists  said  that  only  ordained  preachers 
had  the  right  to  baptize.  On  the  other  hand,  Mr. 
Campbell  taught  that  since  all  Christians  were 
kings  and  priests  unto  God,  each  one  had  a  right 
to  administer  the  ordinances  of  the  Lord's  house. 

/.  Regarding  the  Lord's  Supper.  The  Bap- 
tist custom  was  to  observe  this  ordinance  once  a 
quarter  or  once  a  month,  while  Mr.  Campbell  plead 
for  its  observance  once  a  week.  He  showed  this 
to  have  been  the  practice  of  the  primitive  Church 
by  both  the  New  Testament  and  later  church  his- 
tory. The  Baptists  practiced  "close  communion," 
but  he  taught  that  each  should  examine  himself, 
and  not  his  brother,  "and  so  let  him  eat  of  that 
bread,  and  drink  of  that  cup"  (1  Cor.  11:28). 

g.  Regarding  the  Reception  of  Members 
into  the  Church.  The  Baptists  required  their 
converts  to  relate  a  "Christian  experience,"  either 


102 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


to  the  officers  or  to  the  congregation,  and  they  were 
received  or  rejected  by  a  vote.  If  the  experience 
indicated  a  genuine  conversion,  they  were  received; 
if  not,  they  were  rejected.  But  Mr.  Campbell  said 
all  who  believed  with  the  whole  heart  in  the  Christ, 
and  confessed  him  before  men,  should  be  baptized 
into  the  "one  body,"  the  Church. 

h.  Regarding  the  Call  to  the  Ministry. 
The  Baptists  believed  that  every  genuine  call  to  the 
ministry  was  accompanied  by  some  miraculous 
manifestation  akin  to  the  light  and  voice  in  Saul's 
conversion  and  call.  Mr.  Campbell  insisted  that 
the  cases  were  not  parallel ;  that  Paul  was  called 
to  be  an  Apostle,  and  the  miraculous  was  an  essen- 
tial in  all  such  cases,  but,  Apostles  not  being  needed 
now,  the  miraculous  was  no  longer  essential  to  the 
call.  Now,  when  a  consecrated  and  gifted  young 
man,  like  Timothy,  is  well  reported  of  by  the 
churches,  they  call  him,  and  set  him  apart  to  "the 
ministry  of  the  word."' 

These,  and  kindred  points,  constantly  agitated, 
and  often  exaggerated,  finally  did  their  work,  and 
separated  a  people  who  ought  to  have  been  one. 
No  exact  day  can  be  named  as  the  time  of  this  sad 
occurrence,  for  it  was  gradual  in  its  growth  and 
consumed  several  years  in  its  consummation,  but 
the  year  1830  is  not  far  from  the  correct  date. 
After  this  time  the  followers  of  Campbell  were 
known  as  "Christian,"  "Disciples  of  Christ,"  or 
"Christian  Churches,"  the  legal  title  usually  being 
the  "Church  of  Christ"  at  such  a  place. 

During  the  eighty-four  years  since  the  separa- 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


103 


tion,  Time,  God's  gracious  minister  of  healing, 
who  loves  to  hide  the  wounds  of  war  with  tender 
grasses  and  fragrant  roses,  has  done  much  toward 
healing  those  old  sores,  so  that  in  many  places  the 
two  peoples  are  now  nearer  together  than  ever 
before.  And  it  is  the  hope  and  prayer  of  many  in 
both  communions  that  the  time  may  soon  come 
when  these,  the  two  largest  immersionist  bodies  in 
America,  may  be  one. 


104  HOW  THE  DISCIPLES  BEGAN  AND  GREW 


Questions. 

1.  When  did  the  Campbells  enter  the  Baptist 
Church  ? 

2.  Why  did  this  act  produce  new  enemies  and 
new  friends? 

3.  When  were  the  debates  with  Walker  and 
McCalla? 

4.  What  lessons  were  learned  from  the  debates? 

5.  What  of  the  "Sermon  on  the  Law"? 

6.  What  of  the  Christian  Baptist? 

7.  How  did  "Bethany'  get  its  name? 

8.  What  special  things  did  the  Christian  Bap- 
tist oppose? 

9.  What  of  the  Millennial  Harbinger? 

10.  What  of  the  growth  of  the  cause  at  this 
time? 

11.  What  of  Walter  Scott? 

12.  What  of  Campbell's  warnings  against  divi- 
sion? 

13.  State  the  causes  of  the  separation. 


VI. 

THE  STONE  MOVEMENT 


105 


OUTLINE— CHAPTER  VI. 

1.  Early  Life. 

a.  Birth. 

b.  Conversion. 

c.  Calvinism. 

2.  Early  Ministry. 

a.  Ordination. 

b.  Wonderful  Revival. 

3.  Later  Ministry. 

a.  COLABORERS. 

b.  Springfield  Presbytery. 

c.  Breaks  with  Denominationalism. 

d.  Distinguished  Honor. 

e.  Last  Will  and  Testament. 
/.  Trials  and  Triumphs. 

4.  First  Meeting  of  Stone  and  Campbell. 

a.  First  Impressions. 

b.  Second  Impressions. 

5.  Forces  United. 

a.  Preliminary  Meetings. 

b.  Lexington  Meeting. 

c.  Messengers  to  the  Churches. 

d.  The  People  Contrasted. 

e.  An  Important  Result. 
/.  Beautiful  Illustration. 

g.  The  Younger  the  Stronger. 

h.  Love  the  Leading  Element. 


106 


VI. 


The  Stone  Movement. 

Alexander  Campbell  was  now 
i.  Early  Life        -  r  , 

forty-two  years  of  age,  just  en- 
tering the  prime  of  his  splendid  manhood.  The 
"Declaration  and  Address"  was  issued  in  1809, 
hence  he  had  been  twenty-one  years  developing  the 
principles  of  the  mission  upon  which  his  Master 
had  sent  him.  Like  a  great  ship,  it  took  time  to 
fully  loose  him  from  his  moorings  and  swing  him 
into  the  open  sea;  but  he  is  there  now,  and  ready 
for  the  voyage. 

As  already  seen,  the  spirit  of  union  was  by  no 
means  confined  to  the  Campbells,  but  it  was  abroad 
in  the  land.  It  was  found  on  both  sides  of  the 
Atlantic,  and  in  the  ranks  of  many  of  the  churches. 
The  largest  and  most  influential  of  the  union 
movements  was  led  by  Barton  W.  Stone. 

a.  Birth.  Mr.  Stone  was  born  near  Port 
Tobacco,  Maryland,  December  24,  1772,  sixteen 
years  before  the  birth  of  Alexander  Campbell.  He 
was  the  youngest  of  a  large  family,  and  the  father 
died  while  the  child  was  too  young  to  remember 
him.  When  he  was  seven  years  old  the  mother 
moved  to  Pittsylvania  County,  Virginia,  near  the 
place  where  this  writer  was  born  and  reared.  Here, 
in  full  view  of  the  beautiful  Blue  Ridge  Moun- 

107 


108 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


tains,  the  boy  grew  to  young  manhood.  The  hard- 
ships of  pioneer  life,  intensified  by  the  privations 
incident  to  the  Revolutionary  War,  were  important 
elements  in  laying  the  foundation  of  the  strong 
life  of  Mr.  Stone.  From  the  humble  home  in  the 
forest,  and  only  thirty  miles  away,  he  could 
hear  the  guns  of  General  Green  and  Lord  Corn- 
wallis  in  the  battle  of  Guilford  Court-house,  North 
Carolina. 

b.  Conversion.  Mr.  Stone,  like  most  thought- 
ful young  men  of  that  time,  when  he  would 
become  a  Christian,  had  serious  trouble  with  Cal- 
vinistic  theology.  He  was  taught  that  all  men  were 
totally  depraved,  unable  to  think  a  good  thought, 
utter  a  good  word,  or  do  a  good  deed  till  God's 
"Spirit  by  some  physical,  almighty  and  mysterious 
power  had  quickened,  enlightened  and  regenerated 
the  heart."  "I  asked  myself,  Does  God  love  the 
world — the  whole  world?  And  has  he  not  almighty 
power  to  save?  Had  I  a  child  whom  I  greatly 
loved,  and  saw  him  at  the  point  of  drowning,  and 
utterly  unable  to  save  himself,  and  if  I  were  able 
to  save  him,  would  not  I  do  it?  Would  not  I  con- 
tradict my  love  to  him — my  very  nature — if  I  did 
not  save  him?  And  will  not  God  save  all  whom 
he  loves?" 

This  reasoning  drove  Mr.  Stone  into  the  doc- 
trine of  unconditional  election  and  reprobation  as 
taught  in  the  "Westminster  Confession  of  Faith," 
and  left  him  almost  mad.  Speaking  of  it  later,  he 
says:  "I  shudder  while  I  write.  Blasphemy  rose 
in  my  heart  against  such  a  God,  and  my  tongue 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


109 


was  tempted  to  utter  it.  Sweat  profusely  burst 
from  the  pores  of  my  body,  and  the  fires  of  hell 
gat  hold  of  me." 

All  this  time  relief  was  at  his  finger-tips,  but 
the  clouds  of  speculative  theology  so  blinded  him 
that  he  did  not  see  it.  Finally,  in  desperation,  he 
turned  to  the  old  Book,  and  these  clouds  fled  away 
like  mists  before  the  sun,  and  his  soul  was  at 
peace.  "From  this  state  of  perplexity,"  he  says,  "I 
was  relieved  by  the  precious  word  of  God.  I  be- 
came convinced  that  God  did  love  the  whole  world, 
and  that  the  reason  why  he  did  not  save  all  was 
because  of  their  unbelief ;  and  that  the  reason  why 
they  believed  not,  was  not  because  God  did  not  exert 
his  physical,  almighty  power  on  them,  but  because 
they  received  not  the  testimony  given  in  his  Word 
concerning  his  Son.  I  now  saw  that  it  was  not 
against  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  that  I  had  been  tempted  to  blaspheme,  but 
against  the  character  of  a  God  not  revealed  in 
the  Scriptures." 

c.  Calvinism.  After  this  outburst  of  faultless 
logic  and  righteous  indignation,  Mr.  Stone,  in  the 
solemnity  of  the  presence  of  death,  expresses  his 
convictions  concerning  this  doctrine.  "Let  me  here 
speak  when  I  shall  be  lying  under  the  clods  of  the 
grave:  Calvinism  is  among  the  heaviest  clogs  in 
Christianity  in  the  world.  It  is  a  dark  mountain 
between  heaven  and  earth,  and  is  amongst  the 
most  discouraging  hindrances  to  sinners  from 
seeking  the  Kingdom  of  God." 


110 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


2.  Early  Ministry 


a.  Ordination.  From  this 
moment  Mr.  Stone  was  a  new 


man.  The  shackles  which  had  fettered  him  were 
broken,  and  the  scales  which  had  blinded  him  had 
been  removed,  and  as  a  free  man  with  clear  vision 
he  threw  himself  with  ardor  into  his  work.  He 
became  a  candidate  for  the  ministry ;  but  when  asked 
if  he  accepted  the  "Westminster  Confession  of 
Faith,"  he  answered,  "As  far  as  consistent  with  the 
Word  of  God,"  thus  showing  himself  in  perfect 
harmony  with  the  slogan  of  the  Campbells :  "Where 
the  Bible  speaks,  we  speak;  and  where  the  Bible  is 
silent,  we  are  silent." 

b.  Wonderful  Revival.  In  1801,  having  heard 
of  a  wonderful  revival  in  southern  Kentucky,  he 
went  down  to  study  the  work.  There,  in  Logan 
County,  multitudes  gathered,  and  strange  things 
transpired.  "The  scene  to  me,"  he  says,  "was  new 
and  passing  strange.  It  baffled  description.  Many, 
very  many,  fell  down  as  men  slain  in  battle,  and  con- 
tinued for  hours  in  an  apparently  breathless  and 
motionless  state — sometimes  for  a  few  moments  re- 
viving and  exhibiting  symptoms  of  life  by  a  deep 
groan,  a  piercing  shriek,  or  by  a  prayer  for  mercy 
most  fervently  uttered.  After  lying  there  for  hours, 
they  obtained  deliverance.  The  gloomy  cloud  which 
covered  their  faces  seemed  gradually  and  visibly 
to  disappear,  and  hope  in  smiles  brightened  into 
joy — they  would  rise,  shouting  deliverance,  and  then 
wrould  address  the  surrounding  multitude  in  lan- 
guage truly  eloquent  and  impressive.  My  conviction 
was  that  it  was  a  good  work — the  work  of  God." 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


111 


Mr.  Stone  returned  from  these  strange  and 
stirring  scenes  fired  anew  with  holy  zeal.  His 
first  sermon  at  Caneridge  was  on  the  words: 
"Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature.  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized 
shall  be  saved;  but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be 
damned."  This  was  the  beginning  of  another 
revival  similar  to  the  one  he  had  visited.  Experi- 
ences on  the  part  of  sinners  were  equally  strange 
and  startling.  And  the  people  in  equal  numbers 
came  from  far  and  near,  and  thousands  turned  to 
God.  It  looked  in  some  respects  like  another 
Pentecost.  Twenty-five  thousand  people  camped 
on  the  ground  until  the  food  supply  failed,  and 
would  have  remained  longer  could  they  have  been 
fed.  Like  fire  in  stubble,  the  influence  of  the 
meeting  swept  abroad  until  a  wide  scope  of  coun- 
try was  involved.  Doubtless  there  was  fanaticism 
here,  but  it  was  not  all  fanaticism,  or  good  and 
permanent  results  would  not  have  followed  as  they 
did. 

T  A     ...  .  a.   Colaborers.     Mr.  Stone 

3.  Later  Ministry 

was  surrounded  by  some  strong 
colaborers  in  this  work:  Richard  McNemar,  John 
Thompson,  John  Dunlavy,  David  Purviance  and 
Robert  Marshall.  Their  preaching  was  in  direct 
conflict  with  the  "Confession  of  Faith."  They 
taught  that  salvation  was  for  all,  and  that  every 
one,  without  the  aid  of  the  miraculous  influence 
of  the  Spirit,  could  be  saved.  No  wonder  this 
preaching  wrought  wonders,  for  it  was  the  same 
kind  that  wrought  wonders  in  the  early  Church. 


112 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


Neither  is  it  strange  that  it  aroused  violent  opposi- 
tion, for  Satan  knew  its  danger  to  his  Kingdom, 
and  he  would,  if  possible,  stop  it.  So,  in  a  short 
time  they  were  tried  for  heresy  in  the  synods  and 
presbyteries  for  preaching  uncalvinistic  doctrines. 
McNemar  was  the  first  victim,  and  when  they  saw 
that  he  would  be  excluded  from  the  fold,  these 
five  men,  during  a  recess  of  the  Synod,  retired  to 
a  garden,  and,  after  prayer  and  consultation,  drew 
up  a  protest,  a  declaration  of  independence,  and  a 
withdrawal  from  their  jurisdiction,  but  not  from 
their  communion.  This  protest  was  presented  to 
the  Synod  by  the  moderator,  and  it  greatly  sur- 
prised and  enraged  that  body. 

These  brave  men  retired  to  the  home  of  a 
friend  near  by,  and  were  quickly  followed  by  a 
committee  from  the  Synod  seeking  to  reclaim  them. 
During  the  conference  with  the  committee,  one  of 
its  members,  Matthew  Houston,  was  converted  to 
the  righteousness  of  their  cause,  and  united  with 
the  protestants. 

When  the  Synod  received  the  report  of  this 
committee  it  solemnly  suspended  the  dissenters 
because  they  had  departed  from  the  doctrine  and 
usages  of  the  Church,  and  had  taught  a  doctrine 
subversive  of  the  "Confession  of  Faith."  But  in 
this  second  point  they  were  unjust  to  Stone,  for 
he  was  ordained  with  the  understanding  that  he 
accepted  the  "Confession"  only  so  far  as  it  agreed 
with  the  Bible. 

b.  Springfield  Presbytery.  Immediately  these 
brethren  formed  themselves  into  an  organization 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


113 


known  as  the  Springfield  Presbytery.  They  sent 
a  vigorous  letter  to  their  churches,  telling  them  what 
had  transpired,  and  why  they  had  withdrawn  from 
the  Synod.  They  also  filed  their  objections  to  the 
"Confession  of  Faith,"  and  to  all  human  creeds, 
and  their  determination  to  take  the  Bible,  and  the 
Bible  alone,  as  their  only  rule  of  faith  and  prac- 
tice. This  letter  was  widely  circulated,  and  it  had  a 
large  influence. 

c.  Breaks  with  Denominationalism.  The 
ties  of  confidence  and  love,  binding  Mr.  Stone  to 
his  churches,  were  tender  and  strong,  and  it  was 
painful  to  break  them.  But  he  had  new  light,  and 
he  must  walk  in  it;  and  so  he  told  them  that  he 
could  not  longer  preach  Presbyterianism,  and  that  he 
would  henceforth  labor  to  spread  the  Redeemer's 
Kingdom  irrespective  of  denominationalism.  He 
released  them  from  all  financial  obligation,  and  said 
he  would  continue  to  preach  among  them,  but  not 
as  their  pastor.  Having  already  freed  his  slaves, 
and  now  having  no  salary,  he  worked  on  his  little 
farm  to  support  his  family.  But  he  preached  inces- 
santly, and  great  throngs  gladly  heard  him. 

The  Springfield  Presbytery  was  an  infant  of 
a  short  life.  Within  a  single  year  these  men  saw 
their  distinctive  name  savored  of  party  spirit,  and 
they  threw  it  overboard  and  substituted  the  name 
"Christian. "  This  noble  act,  which  should  have 
commended  them  to  all  good  men,  only  intensified 
the  opposition  against  them. 

d.  Distinguished  Honor.  In  the  light  of  all 
this,  it  would  seem  that  the  distinguished  honor  of 

8 


114 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


organising  the  first  churches  since  the  great  apos- 
tasy, with  the  Bible  as  their  only  rule  of  faith  and 
practice,  and  ivith  "Christian"  as  the  family  name, 
belongs  to  these  brave  men,  and  that  it  occurred  in 
Kentucky  in  1804,  and  that  Caneridge  was  the 
first. 

e.  Last  Will  and  Testament.  Light  im- 
proved is  always  light  increased,  as  the  history  of 
these  men  shows.  They  soon  published  "The  Last 
Will  and  Testament  of  the  Springfield  Presbytery," 
one  of  the  most  unique  productions  in  religious 
literature.  The  independent  study  of  the  Book  was 
not  long  in  causing  them  to  abandon  infant  baptism 
and  affusion.  But  none  of  them  had  been  immersed, 
and  for  a  moment  they  were  puzzled  as  to  how  to 
overcome  this  difficulty;  but  it  was  only  momentary, 
for  they  soon  saw  that  the  authority  to  preach 
the  gospel  involved  the  right  to  administer  its 
ordinances,  and  so  the  preachers  first  baptized 
each  other,  and  then  baptized  their  congregations. 

Let  it  be  remembered  that  all  this  occurred  five 
years  before  Thomas  Campbell  issued  the  "Declara- 
tion and  Address,"  and  eight  years  before  he 
and  his  illustrious  son  were  immersed. 

/.  Trials  and  Triumphs.  For  a  time  every- 
thing went  well,  and  churches  sprang  up  as  if  by 
magic  over  a  wide  territory.  But  a  new  fad 
called  "Shakerism,"  a  semi-religious  socialistic 
movement  from  New  York,  was  introduced,  and  it 
made  havoc  with  the  faith  of  many  of  their  new 
converts.  Two  of  the  preachers  lost  their  moor- 
ings and  went  with  them,  and  the  day  which 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


115 


dawned  with  such  bright  promise  seemed  destined 
to  end  in  a  night  of  densest  darkness.  But  Mr. 
Stone,  by  nature  as  kind  and  gentle  as  a  woman, 
was  also  courageous  as  a  lion  when  courage  was 
demanded,  and  stood  manfully  by  the  ship,  and 
steered  her  safely  through  the  storm,  and  out  again 
into  the  peaceful  waters  of  prosperity.  But  other 
troubles  came,  and  two  more  of  his  preachers  de- 
serted him  and  returned  to  the  original  fold.  Speak- 
ing of  this  in  after  years,  he  said:  "Of  the  five  of  us 
who  left  the  Presbyterians,  I  only  was  left,  and 
they  sought  my  life."  But  God  did  not  desert 
him,  and  his  influence  increased  greatly,  and 
churches  were  planted  in  Kentucky,  Tennessee  and 
Ohio. 

a.    First   Impressions.  In 
4.  First  Meeting     im  Mr   StQne  and  Mf  c 
of  Stone  ,   „  r  , 

and  Campbell       bdl  first  met    When  the^  com" 
pared  views  it  seemed  that  there 

were  irreconcilable  differences  between  them. 
Stone  thought  Campbell  heterodox  on  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  Campbell  suspected  Stone's  soundness 
on  the  divinity  of  Christ.  But  on  a  fuller  investi- 
gation they  found  these  differences  more  imaginary 
than  real,  and  they  joined  hearts  and  hands,  and 
God  blessed  them  with  the  most  important  work 
since  the  apostolic  age.  If  good  men  would 
always  thus  deal  with  their  differences,  this 
blessed  result  would  become  one  of  the  ordinary 
experiences  of  life. 

b.  Second  Impressions.  Theirs  was  a  case  of 
esteem  and  love  on  first  sight,  and  this  feeling 


116 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


continued  to  the  end  of  life.  Stone,  near  the  end, 
said:  "I  will  not  say  there  are  no  faults  in  Bro. 
Campbell,  but  there  are  fewer,  perhaps,  in  him 
than  any  man  I  know  on  earth;  and  over  these  few 
my  love  would  throw  a  veil,  and  hide  them  forever 
from  view.  I  am  constrained,  and  willingly  con- 
strained, to  acknowledge  him  the  greatest  pro- 
moter of  this  Reformation  of  any  man  living." 
And  this  feeling  was  fully  reciprocated  by  Mr. 
Campbell. 


ward  each  other,  the  work  of  union  between  their 
followers  was  well  on  the  way  when  it  was  begun. 
And  so,  after  a  number  of  friendly  conferences,  it 
was  decided  to  have  a  meeting  of  representative 
men  from  both  sides  at  Georgetown,  Kentucky,  to 
continue  four  days,  including  Christmas  Day  of 
1831.  The  results  of  this  conference  were  so 
satisfactory  that  another  was  convened  in  Lexing- 
ton on  New  Year's  Day  following.  The  spirit  of 
the  Master  was  supreme  in  these  gatherings,  and 
the  blessings  of  the  Lord  rested  richly  on  his 
people. 

b.  Lexington  Meeting.  The  Lexington  meet- 
ing was  held  in  the  old  meeting-house  of  the  Stone 
brethren  on  Hill  Street  on  Saturday.  At  an  early 
hour  the  house  was  crowded.  Stone  and  John  T. 
Johnson  and  Samuel  Rogers  and  G.  W.  Elley  and 
Jacob  Creath  and  "Raccoon"  John  Smith  were 
there,  with  many  others  worthy  of  special  men- 
tion, but  we  have  not  space  for  their  names.  The 


5.  Forces  United 


a.  Preliminary  Meetings. 
With  the  leaders  feeling  thus  to- 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


117 


Lord  has  them  in  the  heavenly  records.  It  was  not 
a  convention  of  elders  and  preachers,  but  a  great 
mass-meeting  of  all  classes.  It  was  decided  that 
one  man  from  each  party  should  speak,  setting 
forth  clearly  the  grounds  of  union,  and  Stone  and 
Smith  were  selected  as  the  speakers.  After  a 
private  conference  it  was  agreed  that  Smith  should 
make  the  first  address. 

At  the  appointed  hour  Smith,  realizing  the 
tremendous  importance  of  the  occasion,  arose  and 
delivered  one  of  the  great  speeches  of  his  life. 
The  following  quotation  will  give  the  reader  an 
idea  of  the  character  of  the  address.    He  said: 

"God  has  but  one  people  on  the  earth.  He  has 
given  to  them  but  one  Book,  and  therein  exhorts 
and  commands  them  to  be  one  family.  A  union 
such  as  we  plead  for — a  union  of  God's  people  on 
that  one  Book — must,  then,  be  practicable.  Every 
Christian  desires  to  stand  in  the  whole  will  of  God. 
The  prayer  of  the  Saviour,  and  the  whole  tenor 
of  his  teaching,  clearly  show  that  it  is  God's  will 
that  his  children  should  be  united.  To  the  Chris- 
tian, then,  such  a  union  must  be  desirable.  There- 
fore the  only  union  practicable  or  desirable  must  be 
based  on  the  word  of  God  as  the  only  rule  of 
faith  and  practice. 

"There  are  certain  abstruse  and  speculative  mat- 
ters— such  as  the  mode  of  divine  existence,  and  the 
nature  of  the  atonement — that  have  for  centuries 
been  themes  of  discussion  among  Christians.  These 
questions  are  as  far  from  being  settled  now  as 
they  were  in  the  beginning  of  the  controversy.  By 


118 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


a  needless  and  intemperate  discussion  of  them, 
much  feeling  has  been  provoked,  and  divisions 
have  been  produced.  For  several  years  past  I 
have  tried  to  speak  on  such  subjects  only  in  the 
words  of  inspiration,  for  it  can  offend  no  one  to 
say  about  these  things  just  what  the  Lord  himself 
has  said.  Whatever  opinions  about  these  and 
similar  subjects  I  may  have  reached  in  the  course 
of  my  investigations,  if  I  never  distract  the  Church 
of  God  with  them,  or  seek  to  impose  them  on  my 
brethren,  they  will  never  do  the  world  any  harm. 
I  have  the  more  cheerfully  resolved  on  this  course 
because  the  gospel  is  a  system  of  facts,  commands 
and  promises,  and  no  deduction  or  inference  from 
them,  however  logical  or  true,  forms  any  part  of 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  No  heaven  is  promised 
to  those  who  hold  them,  and  no  hell  is  threatened 
against  those  who  deny  them.  They  do  not  con- 
stitute, singly  or  together,  any  item  of  the  ancient 
and  apostolic  gospel.  While  there  is  but  one 
faith,  there  may  be  ten  thousand  opinions;  and 
hence,  if  Christians  are  ever  to  be  one,  they  must 
be  one  in  faith,  and  not  in  opinion. 

"For  several  years  past  I  have  stood  pledged 
to  meet  the  religious  world,  or  any  part  of  it,  on 
the  ancient  gospel  and  order  of  things  as  presented 
in  the  Book.  This  is  the  foundation  on  which 
Christians  once  stood,  and  on  it  they  can,  and  ought, 
to  stand  again.  From  this  I  can  not  depart  to 
meet  any  man  in  the  wide  world.  While,  for  the 
sake  of  peace  and  Christian  union,  I  have  long  since 
waived  the  public  maintenance  of  any  speculation 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


119 


I  may  hold,  yet  not  one  gospel  fact,  commandment, 
or  promise,  will  I  surrender  for  the  world. 

"Let  us  then,  brethren,  be  no  longer  Camp- 
bellites,  or  Stoneites,  or  New  Lights,  or  Old 
Lights,  or  any  other  kind  of  lights,  but  let  us  all 
come  to  the  Bible,  and  the  Bible  alone,  as  the 
only  Book  in  the  world  that  can  give  us  all  the 
light  we  need." 

Stone,  with  his  heart  filled  with  love  and  hope, 
responded  in  a  brief  speech.  "I  will  not  attempt,"  he 
said,  "to  introduce  any  new  topic,  but  will  say  a 
few  things  on  the  subjects  presented  by  my  beloved 
brother.  Controversies  in  the  Church  sufficiently 
prove  that  Christians  can  never  be  one  in  their 
speculations  upon  these  mysterious  and  sublime  sub- 
jects, which,  while  they  interest  the  Christian 
philosopher,  can  not  edify  the  Church.  After  we 
had  given  up  all  creeds  and  taken  the  Bible,  and  the 
Bible  alone,  as  our  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  we 
met  with  so  much  opposition  that  I  was  led  to 
deliver  some  speculative  discourses  upon  these  sub- 
jects. But  I  never  preached  a  sermon  of  that  kind 
that  really  feasted  my  heart;  I  always  felt  a 
barrenness  of  soul  afterwards.  I  perfectly  accord 
with  Brother  Smith  that  these  speculations  should 
never  be  taken  into  the  pulpit;  and  when  com- 
pelled to  speak  of  them  at  all,  we  should  do  so  in 
the  words  of  inspiration. 

"I  have  not  one  objection  to  the  ground  laid 
down  by  him  as  the  true  Scriptural  basis  of  union 
among  the  people  of  God;  and  I  am  willing  to 
give  him,  now  and  here,  my  hand/' 


120 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


And  as  he  spoke  these  words,  he  extended  his 
hand  to  Smith,  who  received  it  rapturously,  and  the 
union  of  these  two  great  bodies  was  virtually 
accomplished. 

It  was  then  proposed  that  all  who  felt  willing 
to  unite  on  the  principles  enunciated  should  signify 
it  by  giving  to  each  other  the  hand  of  fellowship; 
and  at  once  the  audience  arose  and  joyfully  joined 
hands.  A  song  was  sung,  and,  amid  tears  of  inex- 
pressible happiness,  the  union  was  confirmed.  On 
the  Lord's  Day  following  they  broke  the  loaf 
together,  and  around  the  emblems  of  the  suffering 
Saviour  they  renewed  their  pledge  of  love  and 
loyalty  in  a  common  cause. 

c.  Messengers  to  the  Churches.  Smith  and 
Rogers  were  sent  among  the  churches  to  carry  the 
glad  tidings  of  the  union,  and  to  direct  and  confirm 
them  in  their  new  relations. 

d.  The  People  Contrasted.  Dr.  Richardson's 
wise  words  contrasting  the  two  parties  to  this  union 
are  in  point  here.  "While  the  features  of  this 
organization — the  Stone  wing — were  thus,  in  a 
good  measure,  similar  to  those  of  the  reformation 
in  which  Mr.  Campbell  was  engaged,  there  were 
some  characteristic  differences.  With  the  former, 
the  idea  of  uniting  all  men  under  Christ  was  prom- 
inent; with  the  latter,  the  desire  of  an  exact  con- 
formity to  the  primitive  faith  and  practice.  The 
one  occupied  itself  chiefly  with  casting  abroad  the 
sweep-net  of  the  gospel,  which  gathers  fishes  of 
every  kind;  the  other  was  intent  on  collecting  'the 
good  into  the  vessels'  and  casting  'the  bad  away.' 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


121 


Hence  the  former  engaged  mainly  in  preaching,  the 
latter  in  teaching.  And  thus  they  supplemented 
each  other.  Where  one  was  strong,  the  other  was 
weak.  One  appealed  mainly  to  the  head,  the  other 
to  the  heart.  In  one  the  protracted  meeting  'was 
prominent/  and  converts  were  multiplied;  in  the 
other  the  mists  and  clouds  of  theological  specula- 
tion were  dissipated,  and  the  Church  of  the  apos- 
tolic days  was  being  brought  back  into  view.  In 
a  word,  one  was  gathering  fuel  and  the  other  fire, 
and  when  the  two  were  properly  adjusted,  the 
world  was  stirred  as  it  has  not  been  since  the  days 
of  primitive  Christianity." 

e.  An  Important  Result.  W.  T.  Moore  calls 
attention  to  an  important  result  of  the  union  which 
should  not  be  overlooked:  "From  the  Campbellian 
point  of  view  this  union  had  its  drawbacks.  At 
the  time  it  was  consummated  the  'Reformers'  were 
practically  sweeping  everything  before  them  in  the 
Baptist  churches  of  Kentucky,  Ohio  and  other 
places  where  the  'Christians'  had  attained  consider- 
able influence.  But  the  union  seriously  affected 
the  trend  of  the  Baptist  churches  toward  the 
Reformatory  movement.  Many  of  those  who  had 
sympathized  with  the  Reformation  utterly  refused 
to  become  associated  with  a  movement  which  had 
coalesced  with  Unitarians  and  pedobaptists."  This 
charge  was  false,  but  it  had  the  semblance  of  truth, 
and  for  a  time  it  did  much  injury. 

/.  Beautiful  Illustration.  J.  H.  Garrison 
beautifully  ilustrates  the  union  of  these  people. 
He  says:  "As  two  streams  having  independent 


122 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


sources  in  the  high  mountain  ranges,  in  flowing 
toward  the  sea,  by  the  law  of  gravitation  often 
meet  and  mingle  their  waters  in  one  river,  so  these 
two  independent  religious  movements — the  one 
organized  by  the  Campbells,  the  other  by  Barton 
W.  Stone — having  the  same  general  aim,  the  unity 
of  God's  children,  naturally  flowed  together  under 
the  law  of  spiritual  gravitation,  when  unhindered 
by  sectarian  aims,  forming  a  mighty  stream  of 
reformatory  influence,  whose  effect  has  been  felt 
in  every  part  of  the  Church  universal." 

g.  The  Younger  the  Stronger.  In  this  case, 
as  with  the  Campbells,  the  younger  was  the 
stronger.  The  son,  so  far  as  the  later  and  larger 
history  of  their  work,  rather  than  the  father,  gave 
it  form  and  direction.  The  Missouri  River,  though 
longer  than  the  Mississippi,  is  a  tributary  of  the 
latter.  And  so  the  Stone  movement,  though  several 
years  older  in  its  organic  form  than  that  of  the 
Campbells,  is  generally  regarded  a  tributary  and  not 
the  main  stream,  in  this  onflowing  and  world- 
blessing  spiritual  current.  This  is  because  all 
the  vital  and  permanent  in  the  teachings  of  Stone, 
and  much  more,  were  found  in  the  teachings  of 
Campbell.  That  this  may  be  seen,  it  is  only  neces- 
sary to  enumerate  the  leading  principles  which 
have  given  the  Restoration  Movement  its  place 
and  power  in  the  world.  These  are  briefly  as 
follows : 

(1)  The  plea  for  Christian  union; 

(2)  The  exaltation  of  the  Bible  as  the  only  rule 
of  faith  and  practice; 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


123 


(3)  The  restoration  of  the  ordinances  to  their 
original  place  and  meaning; 

(4)  The  emphasis  of  human  responsibility  in 
things  spiritual; 

(5)  The  exaltation  of  the  Christ  as  the  creed 
and  foundation  of  the  Church,  and  the  supreme 
authority  in  Christianity. 

h.  Love  the  Leading  Element.  One  final 
word  of  much  importance  remains  to  be  said  con- 
cerning this  union ;  viz.,  love  was  the  leading  ele- 
ment in  this  glorious  consummation.  The  people 
first  became  acquainted  with  each  other;  this 
acquaintance  ripened  into  friendship,  and  this 
friendship  into  love.  No  amount  of  argument  and 
information  and  exhortation,  in  the  absence  of  love, 
could  have  wrought  such  results.  Pieces  of  steel 
thrown  together  will  touch  each  other,  but  they 
will  not  unite;  but  melt  them  and  they  become  one 
common  whole. 


124  HOW  THE  DISCIPLES  BEGAN  AND  GREW 


Questions. 

1.  What  of  the  early  life  of  Barton  W.  Stone? 

2.  What  of  his  early  religious  experience? 

3.  How  far  did  he  accept  the  "Confession  of 
Faith"? 

4.  What  of  his  early  revivalistic  experience? 

5.  Tell  of  his  five  colaborers. 

6.  What  of  their  trouble  with  the  Synod? 

7.  Tell  of  the  new  Synod — its  birth  and  death. 

8.  What  of  the  first  churches  modeled  after 
the  New  Testament  Church? 

9.  Tell  of  the  trouble  with  Shakerism. 

10.  Tell  of  the  first  meeting  of  Stone  and  Camp- 
bell. 

11.  Describe  the  union  of  the  two  peoples. 

12.  What  were  some  of  the  differences  between 
them  ? 

13.  Give  Garrison's  illustration. 

14.  Why  is  the  Stone  movement  regarded  a 
tributary,  and  not  the  main  stream? 

15.  What  of  the  power  of  love? 


VII. 

THE  WORK  BROADENING 
AND  DEEPENING 


125 


OUTLINE— CHAPTER  VII. 

1.  Christian  Union  Tested. 

a.  Principle  Involved. 

b.  Test  Applied. 

c.  Result  Obtained. 

2.  Faith  and  Opinion. 

a.  Campbell's  Views. 

b.  Stone's  Views. 

c.  Errett's  Views. 

3.  Phenomenal  Success. 

a.  Clearer  Light. 

b.  Better  Organization. 

c.  Change  Wanted. 

d.  Menu  Appetizing. 

e.  Worthy  Men. 

/.  Natural  Results. 

4.  Alexander  Campbell's  Labors. 

a.  Change  in  Public  Sentiment. 

b.  Preaches  to  Congress. 

c.  Visits  the  Old  World. 

d.  Returns  Home. 


12C 


VII. 


The  Work  Broadening  and  Deepening. 


i.  Christian 
Union  Tested 


a.  The  Principle  Involved. 
Theories,  however  beautiful  and 
promising,  are  worthless  if  not 


workable.  The  Patent  Office  is  full  of  patents  with 
faultless  models,  but  they  will  not  work.  In  this 
practical  age  men  have  a  merciless  way  of  testing 
such  things.  If  they  can  show  good  results,  they 
adopt  them;  if  not,  they  cast  them  aside.  The 
Campbells  had  for  years  been  preaching  a  theory 
of  Christian  union,  and  good  men  were  interested, 
but,  like  Thomas,  they  had  their  doubts  as  to 
whether  it  would  work.  "Where  the  Bible  speaks, 
we  speak;  where  the  Bible  is  silent,  we  are  silent," 
looked  good  to  those  who  believed  the  Bible,  but 
many  thought  as  a  theory  it  would  not  stand  the 
test.  And  when  the  forces  of  Stone  and  Campbell 
united,  they  hoped  against  hope,  fearing  that  the 
glittering  scheme,  like  a  rope  of  sand,  would  go 
to  pieces.  But  they  did  not  have  long  to  wait  for 
just  the  test  they  desired.  It  was  found  in  the 
case  of  Aylett  Raines,  a  Restorationist  preacher  of 
Ohio,  and  a  fine  young  man. 

b.  The  Test  Applied.  He  and  Walter  Scott 
were  operating  in  the  Western  Reserve  at  the  same 
time,  but  they  had  never  met.    Scott  was  turning 


127 


128 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


the  "world  upside  down,"  and  Raines  felt  it  his 
duty,  as  the  leader  of  the  Restorationists,  to  counter- 
act his  influence,  and  he  attended  one  of  his  meet- 
ings that  he  might  know  at  first-hand  the  teachings 
of  the  great  evangelist.  Scott  always  gave  his 
hearers  a  chance  to  be  heard,  and  Raines,  fond  of 
controversy,  went  there  for  that  purpose.  But 
the  sermon  so  impressed  him  that  he  had  no  desire 
to  criticize.  He  continued  to  hear,  and  he  was 
more  and  more  impressed,  until  finally  he  decided 
that  Scott  was  right  and  he  was  wrong.  But 
there  was  so  much  at  stake  that  he  took  time  to 
consider  well  before  acting.  He  prayed  to  God 
for  guidance,  and  counseled  with  his  brethren.  He 
had  a  preaching  tour  of  several  weeks,  and  he 
decided  to  fill  his  engagements  and  present  his 
new  views  in  order  that  he  might  see  what  others 
thought  of  them.  He  was  freely  criticized,  but  it 
only  confirmed  him  in  his  convictions.  At  the 
end  of  the  tour  he  spent  four  days  in  conference 
with  one  of  his  preaching  brethren — E.  Williams — 
a  man  of  influence,  and,  as  a  result,  he  was  con- 
verted and  they  baptized  each  other,  and  at  once 
entered  heartily  into  the  work  with  Scott.  In  a 
few  weeks  Raines  immersed  fifty  people,  inclu- 
ding three  of  his  preaching  brethren.  Soon  he  had 
the  privilege  of  several  days'  conference  with  Thom- 
as Campbell,  and  his  new  faith  was  greatly 
strengthened. 

Scott's  first  year  as  evangelist  for  the  Mahoning 
Association  was  drawing  to  a  close,  and  God  had 
crowned  his  labors  with  a  thousand  conversions, 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


129 


and  had  enabled  him  to  establish  the  principles  of 
the  Restoration  Movement  throughout  the  Associa- 
tion. The  annual  meeting  at  Warren,  Ohio,  was 
an  unusually  large  one.  Three  facts  contributed 
to  this  result:  (1)  The  splendid  report  of  the 
evangelist;  (2)  Alexander  Campbell  preached  the 
opening  sermon;  (3)  the  case  of  Aylett  Raines 
was  considered.  It  was  generally  understood  that 
Raines  still,  in  a  large  measure,  retained  his  old 
views  on  restoration,  and  many  thought  he  should 
renounce  them,  or  be  denied  a  place  in  the  Asso- 
ciation. Mr.  Campbell  was  aware  of  this,  and 
his  sermon  was  shaped  accordingly.  The  text  was 
Rom.  14:1:  "Him  that  is  weak  in  the  faith  receive 
ye,  but  not  to  doubtful  disputations;"  or,  as  ren- 
dered in  the  new  version,  "without  regard  to  dif- 
ferences of  opinion/'  The  sermon  was  worthy  of 
the  great  preacher  and  the  great  occasion,  for  it 
developed  clearly  a  fundamental  principle  in  the 
union  question:  the  difference  between  faith  and 
opinion. 

The  next  day  the  case  came  up  for  considera- 
tion, and  the  venerable  and  beloved  Thomas 
Campbell  was  the  first  to  speak.  He  regretted  that 
such  questions  should  be  brought  before  the  Asso- 
ciation, for  they  would  produce  discord  among 
brethren.  He  said  that  Raines  was  a  Restoration- 
ist  and  he  was  a  Calvinist,  "but,  notwithstanding 
this  difference  of  opinion,  I  would  put  my  right 
hand  into  the  fire  and  have  it  burnt  off  before 
I  would  hold  it  up  against  him." 

c.  The  Result  Obtained.    Alexander  Camp- 

9 


130 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


bell  followed  with  an  address  which  cleared  away 
the  confusion,  and  led  to  a  satisfactory  solution  of 
the  matter.  He  made  the  difference  between  faith 
and  opinion  so  clear  that  all  saw  it,  and  he  showed 
that  Raines'  views  were  a  question  of  opinion, 
because  there  was  no  testimony  in  the  Book  on  the 
subject,  and  therefore  it  could  not  be  a  matter  of 
faith.  He  suggested  that  Mr.  Raines  promise  his 
brethren  to  preach  the  gospel  as  the  Apostles 
preached  it,  and  retain  his  opinions  as  private  prop- 
erty, prophesying  that  if  he  would  do  so,  these 
opinions  would  vanish,  and  he  would  soon,  like 
Paul,  be  preaching  nothing  but  Christ  and  him 
crucified.  Mr.  Scott  heartily  commended  Mr. 
Campbell's  advice.  Mr.  Raines  gladly  made  the 
promise,  and  the  Association  by  vote  retained  him 
in  her  fellowship.  Thus  the  question  of  opinions 
as  a  test  of  fellowship — one  always  fraught  with 
evil  if  not  wisely  handled — was  settled,  unity  was 
preserved,  and  the  church  was  saved  from  a  sore 
calamity. 


question  of  Christian  union.  Mr.  Raines,  it  was 
true,  held  some  peculiar  views,  but  since  all  men 
hold  such  views  on  that,  or  some  other  questions, 
he  was  not  peculiar  after  all.  His  faith,  his  life, 
his  love,  and  his  loyalty  were  right,  and  he  should 
be  fully  fellowshiped  in  spite  of  any  views  he 
might  hold.  Unity  in  faith  and  diversity  in  opin- 
ion was  the  only  possible  road  to  union. 


2.  Faith 
and  Opinion 


a.  Campbell's  Views.  This 
incident  shows  that  Mr.  Camp- 
bell  understood   thoroughly  the 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


131 


Years  later,  in  his  debate  with  N.  L.  Rice,  Mr. 
Campbell  said:  "We  long  since  learned  the  les- 
son to  draw  a  well-defined  boundary  between  faith 
and  opinion,  and,  while  we  earnestly  contend  for 
the  faith,  to  allow  perfect  freedom  of  opinion;  and 
of  the  expression  of  the  opinion,  as  the  true 
philosophy  of  church  union  and  the  sovereign 
antidote  against  heresy.  Hence  in  our  communion 
at  this  moment  we  have  as  strong  Calvinists  and 
as  strong  Arminians,  I  presume,  as  any  in  this 
house — certainly  many  that  have  been  such.  Yet 
we  go  hand  in  hand  in  one  faith,  one  hope,  and  in 
all  Christian  union  and  co-operation  in  the  great 
cause  of  personal  sanctification  and  human  redemp- 
tion. It  is  not  our  object  to  make  men  think  alike 
on  a  thousand  themes.  Let  them  think  as  they  like 
on  any  matters  of  human  opinion,  and  upon  'doc- 
trines of  religion,'  provided  only  they  hold  the 
Head  Christ  and  keep  his  commandments.  I  have 
learned  not  only  the  theory,  but  the  fact,  that  if 
you  want  opinions  to  cease  or  subside,  you  must 
not  debate  everything  that  men  think  and  say. 
You  may  debate  anything  into  consequence,  or 
you  may,  by  a  dignified  silence,  waste  it  into  ob- 
livion. 

'The  great  cardinal  principles  upon  which  the 
Kingdom  rests  are  made  intelligible  to  all,  and  every 
one  who  sincerely  believes  these  and  is  baptized  is, 
without  any  other  instrument,  creed,  covenant  or 
bond,  entitled  to  the  rank  and  immunities  of  the 
city  of  God,  the  spiritual  Jerusalem,  the  residence 
of  the  King.    It  embraces  all  that  believe  in  Jesus 


132 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


as  the  Christ,  of  all  nations,  sects  and  parties, 
and  makes  them  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus." 

b.  Stone's  Views.  Barton  W.  Stone  is  equal- 
ly clear.  Speaking  of  the  union  consummated  at 
Lexington,  he  says : 

"It  may  be  asked,  Is  there  no  difference  among 
you?  We  answer  we  do  not  know,  nor  are  we 
concerned  to  know.  We  have  never  asked  them 
what  was  their  opinion,  nor  have  they  asked  us. 
If  they  have  opinions  different  from  ours,  they  are 
welcome  to  them,  provided  they  do  not  endeavor 
to  impose  them  on  us  as  articles  of  faith.  They  say 
the  same  of  us. 

"It  may  be  asked,  Have  you  no  creed  or  con- 
fession as  a  common  bond  of  union?  We  answer, 
Yes.  We  have  a  perfect  one  delivered  to  us  from 
Heaven,  and  confirmed  by  Jesus  and  his  Apostles 
— we  mean  the  New  Testament.  We  have  learned 
from  the  earliest  history  of  the  Church  to  the  pres- 
ent time  that  the  adoption  of  man-made  creeds 
has  been  the  invariable  cause  of  division.  We 
have  therefore  rejected  all  such  creeds  as  bonds  of 
union,  and  have  determined  to  rest  on  that  alone 
given  by  divine  authority,  being  well  assured  that  it 
will  bind  together  all  who  live  in  the  spirit  of  it." 

Never  since  the  apostolic  age  had  the  very 
heart  of  the  union  question  been  more  clearly 
presented,  and  never,  even  in  that  age,  did  men 
have  a  better  appreciation  of  it.  It  was  to  be  in 
faith,  not  in  opinions;  and  it  was  to  deal  with 
fundamentals,  and  not  incidentals.  In  dealing  with 
this  mighty  problem  these  men  saw  that  it  was 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


133 


just  as  important  to  ignore  the  unimportant  as  it 
was  to  emphasize  the  important. 

c.  Errett's  Views.  Isaac  Errett,  one  of  our 
later  leaders,  and  one  of  our  most  representative 
men,  says :  "With  us  the  divinity  and  Christhood 
of  Jesus  is  more  than  a  mere  item  of  doctrine — it 
is  the  central  truth  of  the  Christian  system,  and 
in  an  important  sense  the  creed  of  Christianity.  It 
is  the  one  fundamental  truth  which  we  are  jealous- 
ly careful  to  guard  against  all  compromise.  If 
men  are  right  about  Christ,  Christ  will  bring  them 
right  about  everything  else.  We  therefore  preach 
Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified.  We  demand  no  other 
faith,  in  order  to  baptism  and  church  membership, 
than  the  faith  of  the  heart  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God ;  nor  have  we  any  term 
or  bond  of  fellowship  but  faith  in  this  divine 
Redeemer  and  obedience  to  him.  All  who  trust 
in  the  Son  of  God  and  obey  him  are  our  brethren, 
however  wrong  they  may  be  about  anything  else; 
and  those  who  do  not  trust  in  the  divine  Saviour 
for  salvation,  and  obey  his  commandments,  are 
not  our  brethren,  however  intelligent  and  excellent 
they  may  be  in  all  beside.  ...  In  judgments  mere- 
ly inferential,  we  reach  conclusions  as  nearly 
unanimous  as  we  can;  and  where  we  fail,  exercise 
forbearance,  in  the  confidence  that  God  will  lead 
us  into  final  agreement.  In  matters  of  opinion — 
that  is,  matters  touching  which  the  Bible  is  either 
silent,  or  so  obscure  as  not  to  admit  of  definite 
conclusions — we  allow  the  largest  liberty,  so  long  as 
none  judges  his  brother,  or  insists  on  forcing  his 


134 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


opinions  on  others,  or  on  making  them  an  occa- 
sion of  strife." 


and  the  cause  or  causes  of  it  have  been  much  dis- 
cussed by  the  religious  world.  But  these  causes 
are  not  far  to  seek,  for  they  are  philosophical,  fun- 
damental, and  easy  of  comprehension.  Some  of 
them  were : 

a.  Clearer  Light.  The  light  was  becoming 
clearer  to  the  workers.  Up  to  this  time  they  had 
been  threading  their  way  through  a  dense,  dark 
forest  of  difficulties,  and  their  vision  was  not  clear. 
Men  walk  timidly  when  they  do  not  see  clearly. 

b.  Better  Organization.  Their  forces  were 
being  organized.  The  reason  why  a  handful  of 
police  is  more  than  a  match  for  a  large  mob  is 
that  one  is  organized  and  the  other  is  not. 

c.  Change  Wanted.  The  masses  wanted  a 
change.  Most  of  their  teachers  were  mystical, 
theoretical  and  speculative — a  poor  pabulum  for 
hungry  souls.  Hunger  is  the  best  appetizer.  No 
cook,  however  good,  and  no  viands,  however  deli- 
cious, are  appreciated  by  the  man  without  an 
appetite. 

d.  Menu  Appetizing.  The  menu  was  appetiz- 
ing, and  it  was  what  the  people  needed.  (1)  They 
gave  them  a  new  view  of  the  Bible.  It  was  no 
longer  a  heterogeneous  mass  of  spiritual  truth, 
jumbled  together  without  system,  but  an  orderly 
revelation  worthy  of  its  Author.    The  God  of  the 


3.  Phenomenal 
Success 


The  numerical  success  begin- 
ning about  this  time  and  continu- 
ing to  the  present  is  phenomenal, 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


135 


stars  was  the  God  of  the  Bible,  and  the  former 
were  not  more  systematic  in  their  movements  than 
was  the  latter  in  its  arrangement.  (2)  They  made 
clear  the  distinction  between  the  Old  Testament 
and  the  New.  One  was  specially  for  the  Jew, 
and  the  other  was  for  all  men;  one  was  temporary, 
the  other  permanent;  one  told  about  Mt.  Sinai  and 
Moses,  the  other  about  Calvary  and  the  Christ. 
(3)  They  exalted  the  Book  above  all  man-made 
creeds  as  the  one  all-sufficient  and  the  alone-suf- 
ficient rule  of  faith  and  practice  for  the  children 
of  God.  (4)  They  showed  the  sinfulness  of  divi- 
sion, and  the  way  to  union  in  the  Christ  and  his 
Word.  (5)  They  emphasized  the  difference 
between  faith  and  opinion,  and  showed  how  we 
could  be  one  in  the  former,  though  varied  as  the 
leaves  of  the  forest  in  the  latter.  (6)  They 
showed  that  the  doctrine  of  election — the  dominant 
doctrine  of  the  day — had  reference  to  character, 
and  not  to  individuals.  (7)  They  placed  special 
stress  on  the  human  side  of  salvation,  and  showed 
that,  while  it  was  free  to  all,  it  was  forced  upon 
none.  (8)  They  showed  that  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
conversion  operated  through  the  gospel,  and  in 
harmony  with  the  laws  of  our  mental  nature.  (9) 
They  strove  to  reproduce  the  New  Testament 
Church  in  its  name,  its  creed,  its  life  and  its 
ordinances.  (10)  And  last  and  best,  they  re-en- 
throned the  Christ  as  the  central  thought  in  Chris- 
tianity, and  made  it  clear  that  a  personal  Saviour 
for  a  personal  sinner,  and  not  a  system  of  doc- 
trines, was  the  proper  object  of  faith. 


136 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


e.  Worthy  Men.  The  men  were  worthy  of 
the  message.  In  spiritual  as  in  material  warfare, 
the  man  behind  the  gun  is  an  all-important  fac- 
tor. The  gun  may  be  the  best,  but  it  can  not  do 
its  best  without  a  real  hero  to  handle  it.  The 
message  from  the  Lord  needs  manly  men  to  deliver 
it.  The  sun  shining  through  colored  windows  car- 
ries with  it  every  tint  in  the  glass.  The  careful 
reader  can  detect  the  personal  characteristics  of 
Paul,  Peter,  James,  John,  and  other  authors,  in 
their  writings.  And  these  were  grand  men,  worthy 
successors  of  their  apostolic  ancestors.  Not  many 
of  them  were  college  men,  but  they  were  richly 
endowed  with  the  rugged  common  sense  char- 
acteristic of  pioneers.  They  possessed  in  a  large 
measure  the  four  elements  of  true  manhood: 
brains,  conviction,  courage  and  consecration.  They 
knew  the  gospel,  they  believed  it,  they  loved  it, 
and  they  were  always  ready  to  live  or  die  for  it 
according  to  the  command  of  the  Master.  They 
believed  in  the  old  Book,  and  its  voice  was  an  end 
of  controversy.  They  sacrificed  home,  friends, 
pleasure — everything — and,  without  money  and 
without  price,  they  answered  the  Macedonian  cry 
and  carried  its  message  wherever  it  was  possible 
for  them  to  go.  How  I  wish  I  could  call  in  full 
the  names  of  these  old  worthies.  But  here  are  a 
few  of  them :  Smith,  Gano,  Allen,  Challen,  Burnet, 
Church,  Bullard,  Shelburne,  Creath,  Rogers,  Cole- 
man, Fall,  Bentley,  Gaston,  Henry,  Hayden, 
O'Kane,  Goodwin,  Houshour,  Mathes,  Franklin, 
Richardson,  Pendleton,  Hopson,  Lard,  McGarvey, 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


137 


Milligan,  Errett.  Many  others  could  be  mentioned, 
for  their  name  is  "legion,"  but  we  have  not  the 
space.  But  their  names  are  in  the  Lamb's  Book  of 
Life,  and  the  Lord  has  already  welcomed  them  into 
their  glorious  reward. 

/.  Natural  Results.  With  such  men  as  these 
making  such  a  plea  as  they  made,  great  growth  was 
the  natural  result.  They  appealed  to  the  practical 
common  sense  of  the  common  people,  and  they 
heard  them  gladly.  They  did  not  always  agree 
with  them,  but  they  understood  them,  which  is  a 
rich  compliment  to  any  preacher.  Their  message 
was  a  new  one,  and  it  brought  relief  to  thousands 
of  despondent  and  almost  despairing  souls  who  had 
long  been  struggling  in  the  mists  and  fogs  of  the 
theology  of  the  day.  It  scattered  this  mist  and 
fog  like  the  sun  scatters  the  fogs  of  the  morning, 
and  makes  the  earth  all  the  brighter  because  they 
once  enveloped  it  in  their  damp,  chilly  folds. 

And  this  evangelistic  fervor  continues  till  this 
day.  Never  in  our  history  have  there  been  so 
many  large  ingatherings  by  our  evangelists  as  at 
this  time.  And  while  it  is  true,  perhaps,  that  at 
times  too  much  stress  is  laid  upon  mere  numbers, 
this  is  exceptional  and  not  the  rule.  Neither  is  the 
work  done  by  the  evangelists  only,  but  also  by 
the  local  preacher.  Most  of  his  sermons,  especial- 
ly those  at  the  evening  service,  are  closed  with  a 
fervent  appeal  to  the  unconverted  to  accept  the 
Christ  as  the  Saviour,  and  great  numbers  are  thus 
saved.  In  the  mid-week  prayer-meeting  and  Sun- 
day school  this  appeal  is  often  made  and  accepted. 


138 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


This  feature  of  our  work  has  had  much  to  do 

in  the  rapid  growth  of  a  hundred  years,  which 

makes  us  rank  fifth  among  the  Protestant  bodies 
of  America. 


good  tidings  to  a  large  and  constantly  increasing 
audience  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  With  his  pen 
in  the  Christian  Baptist,  Millennial  Harbinger,  and 
in  his  numerous  books,  notably  "The  Christian  Sys- 
tem," and  in  his  sermons  heard  by  enthusiastic  audi- 
ences everywhere,  and  through  his  debates,  he  was 
reaching  the  masses  and  molding  thought  to  a 
remarkable  degree.  He  made  many  long  tours 
through  every  section  of  the  country,  and  was 
received  everywhere  with  open  arms  and  warm 
words  of  welcome.  A  great  change  had  taken  place 
since  the  beginning  of  his  work,  when  he  stood 
almost  alone  as  the  representative  of  an  unpopular 
cause.  The  newspapers  lent  him  their  influence, 
and  rulers  and  lawmakers  bade  him  welcome.  He 
was  at  last  being  recognized  in  a  manner  commen- 
surate with  his  worth. 

b.  Preaches  to  Congress.  On  June  2,  1850, 
at  the  invitation  of  both  Houses  of  Congress,  he 
delivered  an  address  in  the  Capitol.  Perhaps  no 
such  a  scene  was  ever  witnessed  there  before  or 
since.  The  hall  of  the  Lower  House  was  filled 
to  overflowing,  the  meeting  was  opened  with  sing- 
ing and  prayer,  and  the  speaker  took  his  text  from 


4.  Alexander 
Campbell's 
Labors 


a.  Change  in  Public  Sen- 
timent. Mr.  Campbell,  while 
not  an  evangelist  in  the  strict 
sense  of  the  term,  was  telling  the 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


139 


John  3 :  16,  17,  from  which  he  showed  the  great- 
ness of  God's  love  as  contrasted  with  the  friend- 
ship and  love  of  man.  The  distinguished  audi- 
ence for  an  hour  and  a  half  heard  him  with  marked 
attention.  He  was  also  received  with  great  respect 
in  New  York,  and  other  important  centers.  Wher- 
ever he  went — East  or  West,  North  or  South,  in 
the  United  States  or  in  Canada — the  people  hailed 
him  with  delight. 

c.  Visits  Old  World.  The  long-cherished 
dream  of  revisiting  the  old  country,  and  thus 
extending  his  plea  for  New  Testament  Christian- 
ity, was  about  to  be  realized.  Pressing  invitations 
from  the  churches  there  convinced  him  that  the 
time  was  ripe  for  his  going.  Accordingly,  on  May 
4,  1847,  he  sailed  from  New  York  on  board  the 
"Siddons,"  a  sailing-vessel,  which  he  preferred  to 
a  steamer,  in  order  that  he  might  have  a  longer 
time  at  sea.  After  a  pleasant  voyage  of  twenty- 
five  days  he  landed  in  Liverpool.  Here  he  was 
met  by  Mr.  J.  Davies,  of  Mollington,  who  had 
been  active  in  introducing  Mr.  Campbell's  writings 
in  England.  He  visited  Chester,  and  preached  to 
large  audiences.  His  sermons  were  well  received. 
He  also  delivered  two  sermons  in  the  church  build- 
ing formerly  occupied  by  Matthew  Henry,  the 
commentator,  but  then  owned  by  the  Unitarians. 
On  June  7  and  8  he  delivered  addresses  in  Concert 
Hall,  Liverpool,  which  had  been  built  by  the 
Owenites  for  the  promotion  of  infidelity,  but  was 
now  used  in  the  sen-ice  of  Christianity.  On  June 
22  he  visited  Leicester,  where  he  spoke  to  large 


140 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


audiences,  and  visited  the  famous  ancient  abbey 
to  which  Wolsey  retired  to  die  in  1530.  The  city 
was  interesting  also  because  it  was  the  home  of 
Carey,  the  famous  missionary,  and  that  of  Robert 
Hall,  who  occupied  his  pulpit  for  eighteen  years. 
He  was  shown  here  the  guard-house,  still  standing 
on  the  wall,  where  Bunyan,  as  a  soldier  under 
Cromwell,  served  his  country.  He  next  visited 
London,  where  he  spoke  several  times.  Here,  on 
July  9,  he  addressed  the  skeptics  in  their  hall  on 
the  question,  "Has  God  ever  spoken  to  man?" 
for  which  they  gave  him  a  vote  of  thanks. 

Leaving  London,  he  made  a  brief  visit  to  Paris. 
The  magnificence  of  the  city  astonished  him.  The 
Louvre  and  Tuileries  were  beautiful  beyond  descrip- 
tion. The  twenty-one  elegant  bridges  spanning  the 
Seine  were  much  admired.  The  splendid  architec- 
ture of  the  churches  was  impressive,  but  not  so  the 
worship  of  one  he  visited.  "While  gazing  on  all 
the  grandeur  above  and  around  me,"  he  says,  "I 
saw  the  priest  standing  before  the  altar  with  his 
back  to  a  half  a  dozen  devotees  kneeling  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  church,  performing  various  genu- 
flections and  grimaces.  A  large  cross  was  in- 
wrought on  his  coat,  after  the  manner  of  Indian 
beads,  so  that  while  his  back  was  to  the  people, 
a  gorgeous  cross  from  head  to  heel  was  visible. 
What  a  splendid  device!  How  easy  to  carry  such 
a  rich  and  beautiful  cross,  kneeling  on  a  velvet 
cushion  under  a  golden  canopy,  with  a  few  august 
worshipers  in  his  rear!  What  a  commentary  on  the 
words,  'Take  up  your  cross  and  follow  me.'  I 


BEGAN  AXD  GREW 


141 


turned  away  from  this  disgusting  mummery  and 
left  the  Cathedral." 

Returning  to  England,  he  visited  a  number  of 
places,  and  then,  just  thirty-eight  years  after  his 
departure,  he  returned  to  Scotland.  Many  brethren 
from  various  parts  of  Scotland  met  him  in  Edin- 
burgh to  welcome  him,  and  to  hear  him  preach. 
While  in  Scotland  his  views  on  the  question  of 
slavery  were  misrepresented  by  bad  men,  and  he 
was  put  in  prison.  But,  as  is  usual  in  such  cases, 
the  persecution  proved  a  boomerang,  and  came 
back  in  force  on  the  head  of  the  persecutor.  Mr. 
Campbell  was  annoyed,  and  delayed  a  few  days, 
but  Rev.  James  Robertson,  who  aimed  to  injure 
him,  had  to  flee  the  country. 

After  a  pleasant  and  profitable  sojourn  in 
Scotland,  Mr.  Campbell  entered  Ireland,  the  land 
of  his  birth,  on  September  17,  stopping  at  Belfast. 
Preaching  at  a  number  of  places,  he  came  to 
Rich  Hill,  where  he  preached.  Speaking  of  his 
experiences  about  the  childhood  home,  he  says: 
"Mr.  Greer  [his  traveling  companion]  spent  the 
whole  of  that  day,  the  23d,  in  carrying  me  in  his 
carriage  over  the  grounds  around  my  father's 
farm  and  residence,  the  old  stone  meeting-house 
and  the  surrounding  residences  of  prominent  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation.  But  more  than  forty 
years  had  carried  them  all  away,  except  a  few 
members  of  their  families,  who  still  reside  on  their 
patrimonial  inheritances,  of  which  Mr.  Greer  him- 
self was  one,  occupying  the  same  house  in  which 
his  father  died  fifty  years  ago.    We  had  the  sexton 


142 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


open  the  meeting-house,  some  sixty  feet  by  forty, 
and,  with  many  a  melancholy  though  somewhat 
pleasing  reminiscence,  I  surveyed  the  pews,  saying 
to  myself,  'Here  sat  such  a  one,  and  there  sat  such 
a  one;  and  where  sit  they  now?'  The  pulpit  and 
doors  were  new  modified;  all  else  was  in  statu  quo 
as  it  was  when  I  heard  my  father  in  April,  1807, 
deliver  his  farewell  sermon  to  a  large  and  weep- 
ing concourse." 

d.  Returns  Home.  Returning  to  England,  he 
attended  the  annual  meeting  of  the  English  breth- 
ren at  Chester,  and  filled  some  other  engagements, 
when  he  sailed  for  home  on  the  steamer  "Cambria," 
and  reached  Boston  on  October  19,  wearied  with 
his  long  and  arduous  trip,  but  comforted  in  the 
thought  that  much  good  had  been  accomplished. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


143 


Questions. 

1.  What  was  the  feeling  of  many  in  regard 
to  the  theory  of  Christian  union? 

2.  How  was  the  theory  tested  in  the  case  of 
Aylett  Raines? 

3.  Give  Campbell's  position  on  faith  and 
opinion. 

4.  Give  Stone's  position  on  the  same  subject. 

5.  Give  Errett's  position  on  the  subject. 

6.  Name  the  causes  of  the  success  at  this 
time. 

7.  What  were  Mr.  Campbell's  three  main 
agencies  for  spreading  the  gospel? 

8.  Tell  of  his  visit  to  Europe. 


VIII. 

THREE  GREAT  DEBATES 


10 


145 


OUTLINE— CHAPTER  VIII. 

1.  Debate  with  Owen. 

a.  Changed  Conditions. 

b.  Clearing  the  Deck. 

c.  A  Telling  Anecdote. 

d.  Great  Occasion. 

e.  Twelve-hour  Speech. 

/.  Verdict  of  the  Audience. 
g.  Debate  a  Success. 

2.  Debate  with  Purcell. 

a.  Not  Catholic. 

b.  Human  Foundation. 

c.  Unstable. 

d.  Evil  of  Prophecy. 

e.  Immoral  Tendency. 
/.  False  Claim. 

g.  Anti-American. 

h.  Campbell's  Courage. 

i.  Battle  of  Giants. 
Verdict  of  Audience. 

k.  Thrilling  Incident. 

3.  Debate  with  Rice. 

a.  Men  Contrasted. 

b.  Campbell's  Mind. 

c.  Comment  Desired. 

d.  Debate  a  Success. 


148 


VIII. 


Three  Great  Debates. 

Controversy  was  unavoidable  in  the  life  of 
Alexander  Campbell.  Popular  error  can  not  be 
pulled  down  and  unpopular  truth  exalted  in  its 
place  without  controversy.  This  is  true  in  all  the 
realms  of  life — in  nature,  in  religion,  in  science, 
in  literature  and  in  politics;  and  yet  many  men  are 
opposed  to  it  in  the  realm  of  religion.  These  men 
seem  to  forget  that  Elijah,  in  restoring  the  law,  was 
a  controversialist;  that  John  the  Baptist,  in  prepar- 
ing the  way  of  the  Lord,  was  a  controversialist; 
that  Christ,  in  establishing  Christianity,  was  a 
controversialist ;  that  Paul,  the  greatest  product  of 
Christianity  and  the  chief  defender  of  the  early 
Church,  was  a  controversialist ;  that  Luther,  Calvin 
and  Knox  were  controversialists.  Whether  con- 
troversy is  right  or  wrong  depends  on  the  purpose 
and  spirit  with  which  it  is  conducted.  When  the 
controversialist  knows  that  he  knows  all  the  truth, 
and  seeks  to  triumph  over  an  opponent  much  as 
the  Indian  gloats  over  the  scalp  of  a  white  man, 
it  is  altogether  wrong.  But  when  conscious  of 
the  fact  that  he  does  not  know  it  all,  and  in  con- 
troversy, properly  conducted,  he  seeks  for  more  light, 
it  is  altogether  right.  Air.  Campbell  was  an  ideal 
controversialist.    He  sought  truth  for  truth's  sake, 

147 


148 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


and  not  for  the  sake  of  personal  glory.  He 
moved  upon  a  loftier  plane  than  this.  Had  he 
resorted  to  the  common  subterfuges  often  used  by 
small  men,  he  would  have  made  a  botch  of  it — he 
was  too  large  for  that  kind  of  thing — but  as  he 
conducted  it,  it  was  wonderfully  productive  of 
good.  We  desire,  therefore,  that  the  reader  shall 
see  him  in  three  of  his  greatest  debates. 


been  defending  Christianity  in  the  house  of  its 
friends,  but  now  he  meets  its  open  enemies.  In- 
fidelity, like  a  flood,  was  pouring  into  the  United 
States.  David  Dale's  success  at  New  Lanark  Mills, 
Scotland;  Faurier's  theories  of  communism  in 
France;  and  the  "Social  System"  of  Robert  Owen, 
son-in-law  of  Mr.  Dale,  were  making  inroads  among 
the  people.  Advocates  of  these  views  in  large 
numbers  were  coming  to  America,  and  they  were 
active  and  aggressive.  They  established  them- 
selves at  Kendall,  Ohio;  New  Harmony,  Indiana, 
and  some  other  places,  and  boldly  taught  that 
Christianity  was  a  barrier  to  progress,  and  should 
be  shoved  out  of  the  way.  A  paper,  ably  edited, 
was  established  to  advocate  these  views. 

b.  Clearing  the  Deck.  As  soon  as  Mr.  Camp- 
bell saw  this  he  ran  up  the  banner  of  Christ  to  the 
masthead  and  cleared  the  deck  for  battle.  He 
published  in  the  Christian  Baptist  a  series  of  strong 
articles  on  "Robert  Owen  and  the  Social  System," 
and  "Deism  and  the  Social  System,"  and  they 


a.     Changed  Conditions. 


i.  Debate  with 
Owen 


Up  to  this  time  (1829)  Mr. 
Campbell,  in  his  discussions,  had 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


149 


accomplished  the  desired  results.  In  February, 
1828,  he  was  asked  if  he  would  meet  Dr.  Under- 
hill  in  debate.  He  replied  that  he  was  always 
ready  to  defend  his  Master,  but  that  he  preferred 
not  to  meet  a  subordinate  of  Mr.  Owen,  but 
that  gentleman  himself.  He  would  measure  arms 
only  with  the  king;  and,  as  Mr.  Owen  was  not 
averse,  he  did  not  have  long  to  wait.  Mr. 
Owen  had  been  boldly  flaunting  his  challenge  in 
the  face  of  the  clergy  for  some  time,  but  no  one 
accepted  it;  but  the  moment  it  was  seen  by  Mr. 
Campbell  he  accepted  it,  forwarding  his  accept- 
ance to  New  Orleans,  where  Mr.  Owen  was  lec- 
turing. 

c.  A  Telling  Anecdote.  Just  before  the 
debate  Mr.  Owen  visited  Mr.  Campbell  at  Bethany 
to  arrange  for  the  discussion,  and  one  evening 
when  the  two  were  strolling  together  over  the 
farm  they  came  to  the  family  burying-ground,  and 
Mr.  Owen  paused  and  said,  "There  is  one  advan- 
tage I  have  over  the  Christian — /  am  not  afraid  to 
die;  and  if  some  few  items  of  my  business  were 
settled,  I  would  be  perfectly  willing  to  die  at  any 
moment."  Mr.  Campbell  replied,  "You  say  you 
have  no  fear  in  death;  have  you  any  hope  in 
death?"  After  a  solemn  pause,  Mr.  Owen  an- 
swered, "No."  "Then,"  continued  Mr.  Campbell, 
pointing  to  an  ox  standing  in  the  shade,  whisking 
off  the  flies,  "you  are  on  the  level  with  that  brute. 
He  has  fed  till  he  is  satisfied,  and  there  he  stands 
in  the  shade,  and  has  neither  fear  nor  hope  in 
death."     Mr.  Owen,  unable  to  meet  this  simple 


150 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


but  crushing  reply,  blushed  in  confusion  and  made 
no  attempt  to  meet  it. 

d.  A  Great  Occasion.  The  debate  took  place 
in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  April  13-21,  1829,  and  it  was 
a  great  occasion.  Mr.  Campbell  was  the  acknowl- 
edged champion  of  the  Christian  faith,  and  Mr. 
Owen  was  no  less  distinguished  as  its  foe;  and 
the  issue  involved  being  the  one  great  question  of 
the  world,  it  was  one  of  the  truly  remarkable  and 
important  events  in  religious  history. 

e.  Twelve-hour  Speech.  Mr.  Campbell  being 
a  philosopher,  and  realizing  the  importance  of 
thorough  work,  gave  to  his  defense  of  Christianity 
the  widest  possible  range.  On  the  fifth  day  Mr. 
Owen  completed  the  reading  of  his  manuscript,  and, 
finding  himself  unable  to  follow  his  opponent  in 
his  broad  generalizations  and  masterly  summaries, 
he  requested  him  to  proceed  without  interruption 
to  the  close  of  his  argument.  Then  followed  a 
speech  of  twelve  hours,  "which,"  says  Richardson, 
"for  cogency  of  argument,  comprehensive  reach  of 
thought  and  eloquence,  has  never  been  surpassed, 
if  ever  equaled."  And  when  it  closed,  a  thoughtful 
hearer,  not  in  sympathy  with  Mr.  Campbell, 
expressed  the  feelings  of  himself  and  most  of  the 
audience  when  he  said,  "I  have  been  listening  to 
a  man  who  seems  as  one  who  had  been  living  in 
all  ages." 

/.  Verdict  of  the  Audience.  Mr.  Campbell, 
at  the  close,  anxious  that  those  who  did  not  hear 
the  debate  should  know  the  sentiment  of  those  who 
did,  asked  all  who  believed  in  the  Christian  relig- 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


151 


ion  to  rise,  when  it  seemed  that  every  one  rose. 
He  then  put  the  other  side  of  the  question,  and 
three  stood.  Mr.  Owen  pleasantly  remarked  that 
"it  made  him  happy  to  see  others  happy." 

g.  Debate  a  Success.  The  debate  was  a  suc- 
cess in  that  it  checked  the  rising  tide  of  infidelity, 
and  encouraged  the  friends  of  the  Christ.  It  also 
greatly  helped  Mr.  Campbell  in  his  work  by  plac- 
ing the  religious  world,  both  Protestant  and  Cath- 
olic, under  lasting  obligations  to  him,  and  by  giving 
to  him  the  prestige  and  power  that  come  to  a 
victorious  leader  in  a  crucial  hour.  It  was  pub- 
lished, and  had  a  large  sale;  and  it  remains  to 
this  day  an  authority  on  Christian  evidences.  An- 
other significant  result  was  that  Mr.  Owen  soon 
abandoned  his  infidel  schemes  in  America  and 
returned  to  Scotland. 


on  the  subject  of  "Moral  Culture."  In  the  lecture 
he  claimed  that  modern  civilization  in  a  large 
measure  was  traceable  to  the  Lutheran  Reformation. 
Bishop  Purcell,  of  the  Catholic  Church,  took  issue 
with  him,  and  said  that  the  Reformation  had  been 
the  cause  of  all  of  the  contention  and  infidelity  in 
the  world.  Mr.  Campbell  promptly  informed  him 
that  he  was  ready  for  a  discussion  of  their  dif- 
ferences. Purcell  did  not  reply  at  once;  and  an 
impatient  community,  much  disturbed  by  the  efforts 
of  the  Catholics  to  exclude  the  Bible  from  the 
public  schools,  got  up  a  large  petition  urging  Mr. 


2.  Debate  with 
Purcell 


During  October,  1836,  Mr. 
Campbell  lectured  before  the 
Cincinnati   College   of  Teachers 


152 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


Campbell  to  come  to  the  defense  of  Protestantism 
against  Rome.  The  debate  of  seven  days,  beginning 
January  13,  1837,  in  Cincinnati,  was  finally 
arranged,  Mr.  Campbell  affirming  these  seven 
propositions : 

a.  Not  Catholic.  "The  Roman  Catholic  insti- 
tution, sometimes  called  the  'Holy  Apostolic 
Church,'  is  not,  nor  was  she  ever,  catholic,  apos- 
tolic or  holy,  but  is  a  sect,  in  the  fair  import  of 
that  word,  older  than  any  other  sect  now  existing; 
not  the  mother  and  mistress  of  all  churches,  but 
an  apostasy  from  the  only  true  and  apostolic 
Church  of  Christ. 

b.  Human  Foundation.  "Her  notion  of 
apostolic  succession  is  without  any  foundation  in 
the  Bible,  in  reason,  or  in  fact;  an  imposition  of 
the  most  injurious  consequences,  built  upon  un- 
scriptural  and  antiscriptural  traditions,  rested  whol- 
ly upon  the  opinions  of  interest  and  fallible  men. 

c.  Unstable.  "She  is  not  uniform  in  her  faith 
or  united  in  her  members,  but  unstable  and  fallible 
as  any  other  sect  of  philosophy  or  religion — Jew- 
ish, Turkish  or  Christian ;  a  confederation  of  sects 
under  a  politico-ecclesiastic  head. 

d.  Evil  of  Prophecy.  "She  is  the  Babylon  of 
John,  the  man  of  sin  of  Paul,  and  the  empire  of 
the  youngest  horn  of  Daniel's  sea-monster. 

e.  Immoral  in  Tendency.  "Her  notions  of 
purgatory,  indulgences,  auricular  confession,  super- 
erogation, etc.,  essential  elements  of  her  system,  are 
immoral  in  their  tendency  and  injurious  to  the 
well-being  of  society,  religious  and  political. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


153 


/.  False  in  Claim.  "Notwithstanding  her  pre- 
tensions to  have  given  us  the  Bible  and  faith  in  it, 
we  are  perfectly  independent  of  her  for  our 
knowledge  of  that  book  and  its  evidences  of  divine 
origin. 

g.  Anti-American.  "The  Roman  Catholic 
religion,  if  infallible  and  unsusceptible  of  reforma- 
tion, as  alleged,  is  essentially  anti-American,  being 
opposed  to  the  genius  of  all  free  institutions,  and 
positively  subversive  of  them,  opposing  the  general 
reading  of  the  Scriptures  and  the  diffusion  of  use- 
ful knowledge  among  the  whole  community,  as 
essential  to  liberty  and  the  permanency  of  good 
government." 

h.  Campbell's  Courage.  It  required  courage 
and  equipment  of  the  highest  type  to  affirm  these 
revolutionary  propositions,  with  such  an  opponent 
as  Purcell.  But  no  man  was  better  prepared  for 
the  task  than  Mr.  Campbell.  His  life  up  to 
young  manhood  had  been  spent  in  priest-ridden 
Ireland,  where  he  saw  the  system  under  its 
true  colors,  and  learned  to  loathe  it,  as  he  did 
every  system  of  oppression.  His  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  history  of  the  Church,  all  through  her 
bloody  career,  made  him  familiar  with  the  ground 
over  which  he  had  to  pass.  And  his  undenomina- 
tional attitude  to  the  creeds  of  Christendom  left 
him  untrammeled  in  the  defense  of  Christianity 
as  no  party  man  could  possibly  be.  A  single  quota- 
tion from  his  opening  address  shows  his  apprecia- 
tion of  this  last  point.  "I  come  not  here,"  said 
he,  "to  advocate  the  particular  tenets  of  any  sect, 


154 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


but  to  defend  the  great  cardinal  principles  of 
Protestantism." 

i.  Battle  of  Giants.  This  was  a  battle 
between  giants  on  a  question  of  transcendent  impor- 
tance, and  the  interest  in  it  was  deep  and  wide- 
spread. Throughout  the  discussion  Mr.  Campbell 
fully  sustained  himself  as  a  Christian  gentleman 
and  powerful  defender  of  the  truth.  The  Protes- 
tant clergy  of  Cincinnati  and  vicinity,  among  whom 
was  the  famous  Lyman  Beecher,  were  hearty  in 
their  commendation.  Much  prejudice  against  him 
was  dissipated,  and  his  great  plea  for  the  restora- 
tion of  the  ancient  order  of  things  was  heard  by 
them  and  their  people  more  kindly. 

/'.  Verdict  of  Audience.  The  audiences  were 
large,  and  increased  to  the  close;  and  so  appre- 
ciative were  they  that,  at  a  mass-meeting,  resolutions 
were  adopted  declaring  "that  it  is  the  unanimous 
opinion  of  this  meeting  that  the  cause  of  Protes- 
tantism has  been  fully  sustained  throughout  the 
discussion."  The  debate  was  published,  and  had  a 
large  sale.  It  is  perhaps  the  strongest  thing  of 
its  kind  in  the  English  language. 

k.  Thrilling  Incident.  The  following  thrilling 
incident,  worthy  of  special  mention,  occurred  dur- 
ing the  debate.  Mr.  Campbell,  quoting  from  the 
"Moral  Philosophy"  of  Alphonso  de  Liguori,  used 
this  passage:  "A  bishop,  however  poor  he  may 
be,  can  not  appropriate  to  himself  pecuniary  fines 
without  the  license  of  the  Apostolic  See.  But  he 
ought  to  apply  them  to  pious  uses.  Much  less 
can  he  apply  those  fines  to  anything  else  than 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


155 


religious  uses,  which  the  Council  of  Trent  has  laid 
upon  non-resident  clergymen,  or  upon  those  clergy- 
men who  keep  concubines." 

The  object  of  this  stinging  quotation  was  to 
show  that  among  the  Roman  priesthood  marriage 
was  a  worse  crime  than  concubinage,  for  the 
former  brought  an  immediate  excommunication,  but 
the  latter  was  winked  at,  and  only  fined. 

Purcell  indignantly  denied  that  Catholics  had 
ever  taught  such  doctrine,  and  said  that  no  such 
passage  was  in  Liguori's  works.  Pointing  to  the 
nine  volumes  of  this  author  on  the  stand,  he  said: 
"I  have  examined  these  volumes  from  cover  to 
cover,  and  in  none  of  them  can  so  much  as  a 
shadow  be  found  of  the  infamous  charges."  He 
then  requested  Mr.  Kinmount,  a  classical  teacher, 
to  examine  Liguori  and  find,  if  possible,  this  par- 
ticular passage.  The  next  day  Purcell  brought  this 
gentleman  to  the  platform,  and  he  told  the  audience 
that  he  had  not  been  able  to  find  the  passage. 

At  this  the  most  intense  excitement  prevailed, 
and  it  looked  bad  for  Mr.  Campbell.  His  quotation 
was  not  directly  from  Liguori,  but  from  an  Eng- 
lish synopsis  made  by  a  Mr.  Smith  of  New  York, 
a  converted  Catholic.  He  finally  got  in  touch  with 
Mr.  Smith,  who  told  him  that  he  would  find  the 
language  on  page  444  of  Volume  VIII.  Asking 
the  loan  of  this  volume  from  Purcell,  he  turned  to 
this  page,  and  found  it  zvord  for  word  as  he  had 
quoted  it,  in  the  bishop's  own  edition.  But  he  did 
not  stop  here.  He  took  the  original  Latin  and 
the  synopsis  of  Mr.  Smith  to  Mr.  Kinmount,  who 


156 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


certified  that  it  was  a  faithful  translation.  And 
so  Mr.  Campbell  was  vindicated,  and  his  prestige 
greatly  increased,  while  his  opponent  correspond- 
ingly suffered  at  the  hands  of  the  public. 


terian),  in  Lexington,  Kentucky,  beginning  Novem- 
ber 15,  1843,  and  continuing  sixteen  days  with 
Henry  Clay  as  chief  moderator.  Rev.  R.  J. 
Breckenridge,  one  of  their  most  distinguished  men, 
was  asked  to  meet  Mr.  Campbell,  but  he  declined, 
saving,  "No,  sir,  I  will  never  be  Alexander  Camp- 
bell's opponent.  A  man  who  has  done  what  he 
has  to  defend  Christianity  against  infidelity,  to 
defend  Protestantism  against  the  delusions  and 
usurpations  of  Catholicism,  I  will  never  oppose 
in  public  debate.  I  esteem  him  too  highly."  And 
so  Mr.  Rice,  a  man  wholly  unlike  Mr.  Campbell, 
was  selected.  The  one  has  been  compared  to  a 
great  military  leader,  marshaling  his  forces  in 
regular  military  order,  and  fighting  his  battles 
according  to  the  highest  rules  known  in  material 
warfare:  the  other,  to  a  guerrilla  captain,  who 
avoids  the  open  field,  and  seeks  from  ambush  to 
fall  upon  his  foe  at  some  unguarded  point  and 
inflict  a  temporary  injury. 

b.  Breadth  and  Sweep  of  Campbell's  Mind. 
An  example  will  show  the  broad  sweep  of  Mr. 
Campbell's  mind.  He  was  aiming  to  establish  the 
general  rule  that  "where  words  denote  specific  action 
their  derivatives,  through  all  their  various  flexions 


3.  Debate  with 
Rice 


a.  The  Men  Contrasted. 
Mr.  Campbell's  last  debate  was 
with  Rev.  N.  L.  Rice  (Presby- 


BEGAX  AND  GREW 


157 


and  modifications,  retain  the  specific  meaning  of  the 
root."  Applying  this  philosophic  rule  to  bapto,  he 
showed  that  in  its  two  thousand  flexions  and  modi- 
fications it  retained  the  radical  syllable  bap,  and 
so  never  lost  the  idea  of  dip.  His  illustration  was 
as  follows:  "Agriculturists,  horticulturists,  botanists 
will  fully  comprehend  me  when  I  say  that  in  all 
the  domain  of  vegetable  nature,  untouched  by 
human  art,  as  the  root,  so  is  the  stem,  and  so  are 
the  branches.  If  the  root  be  oak,  the  stem  can 
not  be  ash  nor  the  branches  cedar.  What  would 
you  think,  Mr,  President,  of  the  sanity  or  veracity 
of  a  backwoodsman  who  would  affirm  that  he 
found  in  the  state  of  nature  a  tree  whose  root  was 
oak,  whose  stem  was  cherry,  whose  boughs  were 
pear,  and  whose  leaves  were  chestnut?  If  these 
grammarians  and  philologists  have  been  happy  in 
their  analogies  drawn  from  the  root  and  branches 
of  trees  to  illustrate  the  derivations  of  words,  how 
singularly  fantastic  the  genius  that  creates  a 
philological  tree  whose  root  is  bapto,  whose  stem 
is  cheo,  whose  branches  are  rantizo,  and  whose 
fruit  is  karharizo!  or,  if  not  too  ludicrous  and 
preposterous  for  English  ears,  whose  root  is  dip, 
whose  trunk  is  pour,  whose  branches  are  sprinkle, 
and  whose  fruit  is  purification!" 

Here  is  another  example  of  his  masterly  work: 
'The  question  now  before  us,"  he  says,  "concerns 
the  action — the  thing  commanded  to  be  done.  This 
is,  of  course,  the  most  important  point — the  sig- 
nificant and  all-important  point.  Paul  gives  it  high 
rank  and  consequence  when  he  says,  There  is  one 


158 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism.'  There  are  not  two 
modes  of  any  one  of  these.  When  we  have  ascer- 
tained that  one  action  called  baptism,  there  can  be 
no  other.  It  is  wholly  sophistical  to  talk  of  two 
modes  of  baptism,  unless,  indeed,  it  be  two  ways 
of  immersing  a  person.  In  this  there  may  be  a 
plurality  of  modes.  A  person  may  be  immersed 
backwards  or  forwards,  kneeling  or  standing. 
Other  modes  than  these  there  can  not  be.  Sprink- 
ling is  not  a  mode  of  immersing;  neither  is  immer- 
sion a  mode  of  sprinkling.  If  sprinkling,  pouring 
and  immersion  be  modes  of  baptism,  then  I  ask 
what  is  the  thing  called  baptism?  Who  can  explain 
this?  Of  what  are  these  three  specifically  differ- 
ent actions,  a  mode?  If  sprinkling  be  a  mode,  then 
baptism  is  something  incognito — something  which  no 
philologist  or  lexicographer  can  explain.  I  pro- 
nounce these  modes  an  unmeaning,  sophistical 
jargon,  which  no  one  can  comprehend.  Baptism  is 
not  a  mode — it  is  an  action.  The  word  that  rep- 
resents it  is  improperly,  by  Mr.  Carson,  called  a 
word  of  mode.  It  is  a  specific  action;  and  the 
verb  that  represents  it  is  a  verb  of  specific  import; 
else  there  is  no  such  verb  in  Hebrew,  Greek  or 
Latin." 

c.  Campbell's  Comment  Desired.  It  would  be 
refreshing  to  have  the  comment  of  Mr.  Campbell 
on  the  teachings  of  a  little  coterie  of  would-be 
leaders  among  us  who  have  so  far  departed  from 
his  teaching  as  to  speak  of  "immersion  baptism" 
and  kindred  phrases. 

d.  Debate  a  Success.   The  debate,  a  volume  of 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


159 


more  than  nine  hundred  pages,  has  had  a  large 
sale.  The  Presbyterians  for  a  time  encouraged 
its  circulation,  one  of  them  having  bought  the  copy- 
right. But  it  was  soon  seen  that  it  was  not  to 
their  interest  to  circulate  it,  and  it  was  sold  to 
a  friend  of  the  Restoration  Movement,  and  the 
sale  was  greatly  increased. 


160  HOW  THE  DISCIPLES  BEGAN  AND  GREW 


Questions. 

1.  Why  is  controversy  unavoidable? 

2.  Tell  us  of  some  noted  controversialists. 

3.  Describe  an  ideal  controversialist. 

4.  Tell  of  the  debate  with  Owen. 

5.  Give  the  incident  at  the  cemetery. 

6.  What  of  Mr.  Campbell's  great  twelve-hour 
speech  ? 

7.  What  of  the  vote  of  the  audience  at  the 
close  of  the  debate? 

8.  Tell  of  the  debate  with  Purcell. 

9.  Name  the  propositions  discussed. 

10.  What  did  the  preachers  think  of  Mr.  Camp- 
bell's work? 

11.  Relate  a  thrilling  incident  of  the  discussion. 

12.  Tell  of  the  debate  with  Rice. 

13.  Give  some  incidents  in  the  discussion. 

14.  Why  would  not  Breckenridge  meet  Camp- 
bell? 


IX. 

EDUCATIONAL 


11 


101 


OUTLINE— CHAPTER  IX. 

1.  Bethany  College. 

a.  Organization. 

b.  Chief  Text-book. 

c.  Morning  Lectures. 

d.  The  Ideal  Teacher. 

e.  Present  Condition. 
/.  Location. 

2.  Transylvania  University. 

a.  History. 

b.  Bible  College. 

c.  Educational  Society. 

3.  Other  Schools. 

o.  First  List. 

b.  Second  List. 

c.  Female  Colleges. 

d.  Bible  Chairs. 

4.  Special  Mention. 

a.  School  of  Missions. 

b.  Phillips  Bible  Institute. 

c.  Southern  Christian  Institute. 

5.  Summary. 


162 


IX. 


Educational. 

The  organization  of  Bethany  College  in  1841 
marks  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  Restoration 
Movement.  The  Campbells,  being  college  men, 
knew  the  value  of  education ;  but  until  now  so  many 
other  things  occupied  them  that  they  could  not 
turn  their  attention  to  it.  They  knew  that  brain 
was  greater  than  brawn;  that  thought  ruled  the 
world;  that  leadership  could  not  be  divorced  from 
scholarship.  They  knew  that  an  army  by  sheer 
courage,  numbers  and  patriotism  might  achieve 
great  results;  but  the  same  army  carefully  drilled, 
and  led  by  trained  leaders,  has  its  efficiency  multi- 
plied manyfold. 

As  early  as  1818  Alexander  Campbell  estab- 
lished in  his  home  "Buffalo  Seminary."  Educational 
advantages  were  meager,  and  he  hoped  thus  to 
help  the  local  community,  while  he  trained  young 
men  for  the  ministry.  The  school  was  crowded 
from  the  first.  But  after  a  few  years  it  was  dis- 
continued. There  were  several  reasons  for  this. 
It  did  not  meet  his  expectations  in  securing  young 
preachers;  his  health  suffered  from  the  close  con- 
finement; and  the  increasing  demand  for  his  serv- 
ices as  a  preacher  in  important  and  often  distant 
places. 

163 


\ 


164 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


i.  Bethany  Col- 
lege 


a.  Organization.  In  1840 
the  charter  for  Bethany  College 
was  obtained.    Mr.  Campbell  an- 


nounced this  fact  to  the  world,  with  his  purposes 
and  plans,  and  asked  the  aid  of  his  friends.  The 
first  response,  a  gift  of  $1,000,  came  from  W.  B. 
Pendleton,  of  Virginia.  And,  with  characteristic 
energy  and  faith,  he  proceeded,  at  his  own  respon- 
sibility, to  erect  a  large  brick  building.  At  a 
meeting  of  the  trustees  on  September  18  he  was 
elected  president;  and  on  May  10,  1841,  four 
teachers  were  added  to  the  Faculty — W.  K.  Pendle- 
ton, Andrew  F.  Ross,  Charles  Stewart  and  Robert 
Richardson.    The  school  opened  October  21. 

b.  Chief  Text-book.  Mr.  Campbell's  idea  of  a 
college  was  new  in  that  he  would  make  the 
Bible  the  chief  text-book.  "The  formation  of 
moral  character,  the  culture  of  the  heart,"  he  said, 
"is  the  supreme  end  of  education.  ...  An  immoral 
man  is  uneducated.  The  blasphemer,  the  profane 
swearer,  the  liar,  the  calumniator,  etc.,  are  unedu- 
cated persons." 

c.  Morning  Lectures.  When  the  school  opened 
he  began  a  series  of  morning  Bible  lectures  which 
at  once  became  famous.  They  were  neither 
critical  nor  exegetical,  though  containing  both  these 
elements  as  occasion  demanded,  but  were  broad 
generalizations,  sweeping  through  the  Book  from 
beginning  to  end,  and  giving  the  student  a  clear 
and  comprehensive  conception  of  the  doings  of 
God  in  the  creation  and  government  of  the  world. 
W.  T.  Moore,  a  Bethany  student  at  that  time,  says : 


BEGAN  AND  GREW  165 


"One  might  not  remember  anything  very  special 
that  Mr.  Campbell  said  in  these  lectures,  but  every 
time  he  went  away  from  them  he  felt  that  he  was 
a  bigger  man.  They  developed  growth,  and 
stimulated  in  a  high  degree  the  moral  uplift. 
While  they  did  not  underestimate  the  value  of  intel- 
lectual development,  they  emphasized  with  intense 
enthusiasm,  and  an  overwhelming  conviction,  that 
heart-life  is  essential  to  any  worthy  manhood." 

d.  The  Ideal  Teacher.  Mr.  Campbell  was 
the  ideal  teacher.  While  his  Faculty  was  fine,  they, 
and  every  one  else,  knew  that  he  was  the  power 
that  made  the  school.  Garfield's  saying  that  "Mark 
Hopkins  on  one  end  of  a  log  and  a  student  on 
the  other  would  make  a  university"  was  never 
better  illustrated  than  in  this  case.  There  can  be 
no  great  school  without  a  great  personality  at  its 
head.  What  the  teacher  is,  gives  force  to  what  he 
says.  Words  which  fall  lifeless  from  the  lips  of 
others,  strengthen  and  stimulate  when  they  come 
from  his  lips.  There  was  something  in  Mr.  Camp- 
bell that  gripped  the  student  and  filled  him  with 
a  desire  to  be  and  do  something  in  the  world.  It 
was  impossible  to  dwell  long  in  his  presence  and 
not  feel  that  there  was  a  gold  mine  in  you  that 
must  be  developed.  As  a  result,  a  large  number  of 
men  went  out  from  the  school  accomplished 
scholars  and  thorough  Bible  students,  bearing  the 
impress  of  the  great  teacher,  and  giving  a  mighty 
impulse  to  the  principles  for  which  he  stood.  To 
call  the  roll  of  these  would  show,  as  nothing  else 
could,  how  much  we  are  indebted  to  "Old  Bethany." 


166 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


Distinguished  teachers,  preachers,  authors  and 
statesmen  would  answer  from  all  over  the  land. 
Among  the  teachers,  preachers  and  authors  we  find 
Thomas  Munnell,  O.  A.  Burgess,  Charles  Carlton, 
Robert  Graham,  Moses  E.  Lard,  Alexander  Procter, 
F.  D.  Power,  J.  W.  McGarvey,  J.  S.  Lamar,  Wil- 
liam Baxter,  C.  L.  Loos  and  W.  H.  Woolery. 
Among  statesmen  we  find  Senator  Geo.  T.  Oliver, 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  Champ  Clark,  Speaker  of 
Congress.  In  the  Judiciary  we  find  Joseph  L. 
Lamar  on  the  Supreme  Bench.  Besides  these,  in 
the  business  world  and  in  church  work,  there  is  a 
multitude  doing  valiant  service  in  the  kingdom  of 
the  Lord. 

e.  Present  Condition.  The  school,  under  the 
leadership  of  Pres.  T.  E.  Cramblet,  has  passed  her 
threescore  and  ten  years,  and  grown  better  as  she 
grows  older.  Four  large  buildings  have  recently 
been  completed  at  a  cost  of  $120,000,  making  eight 
such  structures,  besides  twenty  dwelling-houses. 
During  last  year  Earl  W.  Oglebay,  a  wealthy  Epis- 
copal layman  and  an  alumnus  of  Bethany,  pur- 
chased the  old  Alexander  farm  at  a  cost  of  $25,000, 
and  donated  it  to  the  Agricultural  Department  of 
the  school.  He  has  erected  and  equipped  a  build- 
ing near  the  old  Gothic  structure  at  a  cost  of 
$65,000  for  the  use  of  the  department.  He  further 
plans  to  make  the  old  Campbell  mansion  and 
grounds,  including  the  cemetery,  a  memorial  to 
Mr.  Campbell,  provided  the  plan  meets  with  encour- 
agement from  the  brethren.  This  home  is  to  be 
a  museum  containing  Mr.  Campbell's  books,  pic- 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


167 


tures,  etc.,  and  all  other  historic  books  and  docu- 
ments pertaining  to  the  development  of  the 
Restoration  Movement. 

The  school  has  property  worth  almost  a  half- 
million  dollars,  with  an  endowment  of  $360,000, 
and  250  students,  one-third  of  whom  are  preparing 
for  the  ministry. 

/.  Location.  Some  have  thought  the  location 
of  Bethany  College  a  mistake,  but  this  is  not  clear. 
Of  course,  it  had  to  be  west  of  the  Alleghanies, 
for  our  people  were  there;  and,  this  being  true, 
Bethany  possessed  decided  advantages  as  a  location. 
It  was  in  Brooke  County,  Virginia  (now  West 
Virginia),  forty  miles  south  of  Pittsburgh,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  seven  miles  from  Wellsburg,  on  the 
Ohio  River.  There  were  no  railroads  then,  and 
travel  was  largely  confined  to  the  water-ways.  The 
surroundings  were  beautiful,  picturesque  and 
healthful.  The  crystal  waters  of  the  BufTalo,  the 
rugged  mountains,  the  charming  valleys  and  the 
massive  forests  made  it  one  of  the  loveliest  and 
most  inspiring  spots  on  the  earth  for  student  life. 
The  isolation  was  a  safeguard  against  the  corrup- 
tions of  the  city.  It  was  near  the  center  of  popula- 
tion, and  in  easy  touch  with  it.  And  it  is  more 
so  now,  for  a  trolley  line  connects  it  with  Wells- 
burg. 


lege  that  of  Transylvania  Uni- 
versity must  also  be  told.  In  1836  Bacon  College 
was  founded  at  Georgetown,  Kentucky,  with  Walter 


2.  Transylvania 
University 


a.  History.  In  connection 
with  the  story  of  Bethany  Col- 


168 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


Scott  as  president  pro  tern.  To  John  T.  Johnson, 
perhaps  more  than  to  any  other  man,  belongs  the 
honor  of  this  enterprise.  In  1840  it  was  moved 
to  Harrodsburg,  and  James  Shannon  became  presi- 
dent. Mr.  Shannon  was  a  power  in  the  educational 
world.  He  was  educated  at  Belfast  Academical 
(now  Royal)  Institute,  Ireland,  where  he  won 
prizes  in  Latin,  Greek,  mathematics,  and  natural 
and  moral  philosophy.  Later  he  was  elected  presi- 
dent of  Missouri  University,  where  he  did  a  great 
work.  The  school  after  a  time  was  moved  to 
Lexington,  and  was  known  as  Kentucky  University, 
but  is  now  known  as  Transylvania  University.  It 
is  the  oldest  college  west  of  the  Alleghanies,  and 
has  a  record  of  which  its  friends  may  well  be  proud. 
It  really  began  its  existence  in  1798,  with  George 
Washington,  John  Adams,  Aaron  Burr  and  General 
Lafayette  as  contributors  to  the  first  endowment 
fund.  Henry  Clay  was  at  one  time  in  the  Faculty, 
and  Jefferson  Davis  was  for  four  years  a  student 
within  her  walls.  The  school  is  now  114  years 
old.  The  plant  is  worth  $750,000,  and  has  an 
endowment  of  half  a  million  dollars,  and  586 
students.  R.  H.  Crossfield  is  president,  and  the 
outlook  is  the  brightest  in  the  history  of  this  old 
institution. 

b.  Bible  College.  The  Bible  College  connected 
with  Transylvania  has  rendered  valiant  service  for 
the  Restoration  Movement.  It  was  organized  in 
1865  as  one  of  the  colleges  of  the  university  with 
Robert  Milligan  as  president,  and  J.  W.  McGarvey 
his  assistant.    In  a  short  time  I.  B.  Grubbs  was 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


169 


added  to  the  Faculty.  About  fifty-five  hundred  of 
our  preachers  at  home  and  abroad  have  received 
all,  or  the  chief  part,  of  their  education  in  this 
school. 

c.  Educational  Society.  The  Kentucky  Edu- 
cation Society  deserves  much  credit  for  this  won- 
derful work.  It  was  organized  in  1856  by  such 
men  as  Philip  S.  Fall,  William  Morton  and  John 
T.  Johnson.  It  has  expended  more  than  $100,000, 
and  aided  in  the  education  of  more  than  five  hun- 
dred young  men,  among  whom  are  many  of  the 
leading  preachers,  teachers,  writers  and  mission- 
aries. At  first  its  help  was  a  gift,  but  now  it  is 
a  loan  without  interest. 

_  f      0  .    _  a.  First  List.    Bethany  and 

3.  Other  Schools    _         f      .      ,  .  J 

Iransylvama  deserve  the  space 

given  them,  for  they  were  pioneers  in  educational 
work.  But  the  greatest  blessing  from  them  was 
not  the  work  within  their  own  walls,  but  that 
which  they  aroused  in  the  land  at  large.  The 
educational  spirit  was  quickened,  and  schools  sprang 
up  in  many  places.  In  1849  the  Western  Insti- 
tute was  organized  at  Hiram,  Ohio.  James  A. 
Garfield,  afterwards  President  of  the  United  States, 
was  the  second  president  of  the  school.  Eighteen 
years  later  it  became  Hiram  College,  and  is  now 
among  our  best  schools.  In  1850  Butler  College, 
Indianapolis,  Indiana,  was  chartered.  It  was  first 
known  as  Northwestern  Christian  University.  It 
is  a  good  school.  In  1855  Eureka  College,  Eureka, 
Illinois,  was  launched  under  the  title  of  Walnut 
Grove  Academy.     It  also   has   been   a  success. 


170 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


Abingdon  College,  of  the  same  State,  after  years 
of  usefulness,  became  a  part  of  Eureka  College. 
In  1853  Christian  University,  Canton,  Missouri,  was 
organized.  It  is  claimed  that  this  is  the  first 
school  in  the  United  States  to  grant  equal  privi- 
leges to  men  and  women.  It  is  beautifully  situated 
on  an  eminence  overlooking  the  Mississippi  River. 
Many  successful  preachers  have  been  educated  at 
Canton.  About  this  time  Oskaloosa  College,  Os- 
kaloosa,  Iowa,  was  founded,  and  it  proved  to  be 
the  nucleus  of  Drake  University,  Des  Moines,  one 
of  our  leading  educational  institutions.  It  has 
an  enrollment  of  about  two  thousand,  property 
worth  $700,000,  an  endowment  of  $570,000,  and  has 
graduated  in  a  single  year  forty  preachers  from  the 
Bible  Department.  Hill  M.  Bell  is  president  of  this 
great  school.  In  1873  Addison  and  Randolph  Clark 
(brothers)  moved  their  private  school  from  Ft. 
Worth,  Texas,  to  Thorp  Spring,  where  it  was 
chartered  as  Add-Ran  College.  In  1889  the  school 
became  the  property  of  the  Texas  churches,  with 
the  name  changed  to  "Add-Ran  Christian  Uni- 
versity." In  1895  it  was  moved  to  Waco.  In  1911 
it  returned  to  the  place  of  its  birth,  and  is  now 
known  as  Texas  Christian  University,  with  prop- 
erty worth  $450,000.  F.  D.  Kershner,  the  new 
president,  is  confident  of  enlarged  usefulness  in 
the  near  future.  Johnson  Bible  College,  formerly 
the  School  of  Evangelists,  Kimberlin  Heights, 
Tennessee,  was  founded  by  Ashley  S.  Johnson,  its 
first  and  only  president,  in  1893.  He  began  with 
$100,  ten  acres  of  land,  two  mules,  three  cows,  and 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


171 


one  lonely  student:  Albert  T.  Fitts,  of  South 
Carolina,  "plus  faith,  plus  obedience,  plus  prayer, 
plus  energy."  To-day  the  plant  is  worth  $200,000, 
and  the  student  body,  more  than  two  hundred 
strong,  representing  a  half-hundred  States  and 
countries,  is  one  of  the  most  promising  factors  in 
the  Church  of  the  future.  Not  one  of  these  young 
men  uses  tobacco.  President  Johnson  says  we 
must  do  one  of  two  things:  train  more  preachers, 
or  become  a  "disappearing  brotherhood,"  and  he 
prefers  the  former,  and  is  doing  his  part  in 
preacher-training.  Oklahoma  Christian  University 
(now  Phillips),  located  at  Enid,  is  a  young  and 
vigorous  school.  For  several  years  the  necessity 
for  such  a  school  for  the  middle  Southwest  has 
been  manifest  to  thoughtful  brethren.  And  in 
1906,  when  Oklahoma  and  Indian  Territories 
became  a  State  under  the  name  "Oklahoma,"  the 
opportune  time  came  to  act  in  the  matter.  E.  V. 
Zollars,  a  leading  educator,  was  selected  to  lead 
the  enterprise,  and  T.  W.  Phillips,  a  man  famous 
for  generous  deeds,  tendered  the  support  of  Presi- 
dent Zollars  while  the  experiment  was  being  made. 
(Mr.  Phillips  continued  this  support  for  four 
years.)  Large,  modern  buildings  have  been  erected, 
the  enrollment  has  reached  350,  with  one-fourth 
of  them  preparing  to  preach.  The  plant  is  worth 
$150,000,  and  has  an  endowment  of  $25,000.  Cot- 
ner  University,  Bethany  (Lincoln),  Nebraska,  was 
established  in  1888,  and  has  been  prosperous  from 
the  beginning.  Enrollment,  350;  property  value, 
$150,000,  with  endowment  of  $30,000.    It  has  fifty 


172 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


ministerial  students.  William  Oeschger  is  presi- 
dent. Virginia  Christian  College  is  located  at 
Lynchburg,  and  was  founded  by  Josephus  Hop- 
wood  in  1903.  It  has  elegant  grounds  and  build- 
ings, worth  $200,000,  and  a  student  body  of  150. 
O.  G.  Davis  is  president. 

b.  Second  List.  There  are  many  other  schools 
of  sterling  worth,  but  we  can  mention  only  a  few 
of  them:  Atlantic  Christian  College,  Wilson,  North 
Carolina;  Eugene  Bible  University,  Eugene,  Ore- 
gon; Keuka  College,  Keuka  Park,  New  York; 
Louisville  Christian  Bible  School,  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky; Milligan  College,  Milligan,  Tennessee; 
Southern  Christian  College,  West  Point,  Missis- 
sippi ;  Washington  Christian  College,  Washington, 
District  of  Columbia.  These  smaller  schools  are 
fighting  against  great  odds.  They  are  in  danger 
of  being  ground  to  powder  between  the  lower 
millstone  of  the  public  school  and  the  upper  mill- 
stone of  State  universities,  and  other  largely 
endowed  institutions.  And  yet  they  are  as  essen- 
tial to  these  larger  ones  as  the  thousands  of 
smaller  tributaries  are  to  the  Mississippi  River. 

c.  Female  Colleges.  There  are  also  many 
excellent  female  colleges.  P.  S.  Fall,,  at  an  early 
day,  led  in  this  work  with  a  school  in  Frankfort, 
Kentucky.  Missouri  has  three  such  schools:  Chris- 
tian College,  Columbia;  William  Woods  College. 
Fulton,  and  Missouri  Christian  College,  Camden 
Point.  We  also  mention  three  in  Kentucky:  Mid- 
way Orphan  School,  Midway,  and  Hamilton  and 
Campbell-Hagerman,  Lexington.    Texas  has  two: 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


173 


Carlton  College,  Bonham,  and  Carr-Burdette,  Sher- 
man. All  of  our  schools  for  women  are  in  the 
South. 

d.  Bible  Chairs.  Besides  these,  the  Christian 
Woman's  Board  of  Missions  has  established  Bible 
Chairs  at  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan ;  Charlottesville, 
Virginia;  Lawrence,  Kansas,  and  Austin,  Texas,  in 
connection  with  the  universities  of  these  States* 


nificant  institutions.  The  school  is  of  a  high  grade, 
and  its  purpose  is  to  fit  missionaries,  both  at  home  and 
abroad,  for  their  work.  It  assumes  that  no  student, 
however  gifted  and  cultured,  is  fitted  for  the  mis- 
sion field  without  special  training.  It  is  two  years 
old,  has  an  equipment  of  $100,000,  a  Faculty  of  six 
specialists,  and  a  student  body  of  twenty-eight,  just 
double  the  number  of  the  first  year;  and  the  pros- 
pect for  another  100  per  cent,  increase  for  the 
third  year.    Professor  Paul  is  president. 

b.  Phillips  Bible  Institute.  Phillips  Bible 
Institute,  Canton,  Ohio,  is  also  unique  and  impor- 
tant as  an  institution  of  learning.  The  special  aim 
of  the  school  is  to  so  aid  the  large  number  of  pious 
people  who  are  deprived  of  a  college  education, 
that  they  may  become  successful  workers  in  the 
Church.  Such  an  aim  is  worthy  and  wise,  and  it 
must  win.  The  founder  of  the  school  (T.  W. 
Phillips)  was  a  man  famous  for  many  good  deeds, 
of  which,  perhaps,  this  is  the  best,  and  the  dean  of 
the  Faculty  is  Martin  L.  Pierce. 


4.  Special  Men- 
tion 


a.  School  of  Missions.  The 
College  of  Missions,  Indianapolis, 
Indiana,  is  one  of  our  most  sig- 


174 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


c.  Southern  Christian  Institute.  The 
Southern  Christian  Institute,  Lum,  Mississippi,  is 
our  only  high-grade  industrial  college  for  the  col- 
ored people.  It  has  property  worth  $190,000,  a 
Faculty  of  thirteen,  and  an  enrollment  of  233.  It 
is  under  the  control  of  the  C.  W.  B.  M.  These 
wise  women  believe  that  the  negro  now  is  more  in 
need  of  the  aid  of  an  industrial  training,  coupled 
with  the  fundamentals  of  a  good  English  and  relig- 
ious education,  than  of  an  education  in  literature, 
science  and  the  arts.  There  are  thirteen  ministerial 
students  in  the  school.  The  Louisville  Bible  Col- 
lege, where  preachers  are  trained  for  the  colored 
churches,  has  an  enrollment  of  seventeen. 

So  great  has  been  the  growth 
5.  Summary        q{   ^   wQrk   ^   prof  AJya 

W.  Taylor  says:  "To-day  we  have  no  less  than 
eighteen  full-panoplied  colleges  and  universities,  six 
junior  colleges  for  women,  four  Bible  colleges 
articulating  with  great  secular  schools,  seven  Bible 
chairs  giving  religious  instruction  at  State  schools, 
an  institute  giving  instruction  to  lay  workers  as  a 
specialty,  and  the  whole  crowned  by  a  college  of 
missions  which  takes  those  graduate  students  who 
are  willing  to  devote  their  lives  to  the  ministry  of 
a  missionary  and  trains  them  in  the  arts  of  their 
holy  calling.  Besides  all  these,  there  are  all  our 
schools  on  the  mission  fields,  training  peoples  of 
every  color  in  industrial  arts,  and  raising  up  from 
among  them  an  intelligent  ministry  and  leadership 
for  all  walks  of  life." 

From  the  data  at  hand  we  feel  safe  in  saying 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


175 


that  in  all  these  schools  there  are  about  nine  thou- 
sand students,  of  whom  thirteen  hundred  are  prepar- 
ing to  preach.  Adding  to  this  number  all  the  min- 
isterial students  in  Harvard,  Yale,  Union,  and  other 
universities,  it  would  probably  foot  up  almost  fifteen 
hundred.  The  equipment  amounts  to  about  $6,000,- 
000,  and  the  endowment  to  about  $4,000,000,  mak- 
ing a  grand  total  of  $10,000,000  invested  in  our 
educational  institutions.  If  to  this  amount,  which 
is  properly  included,  we  could  add  the  money  value 
and  the  students  enrolled  in  the  Bible  chairs  and 
mission  schools  at  home  and  in  the  foreign  field, 
these  figures  would  be  largely  increased. 

The  establishment  of  so  many  schools  in  little 
more  than  a  half -century  is  remarkable,  and  it 
augurs  well  for  the  future. 


176  HOW  THE  DISCIPLES  BEG  AX  AXD  GREW 


Questions. 

1.  Why  were  the  educational  interests  delayed? 

2.  Tell  of  the  establishment  of  Bethany  Col- 
lege. 

3.  What  was  new  in  Mr.  Campbell's  idea  of  a 
college  ? 

4.  Name  some  of  the  graduates  of  Bethany 
College. 

5.  What  are  the  present  status  and  prospects  of 
the  school? 

6.  Sketch  the  history  of  Transylvania  Univer- 
sity. 

7.  What  about  the  Bible  College? 

8.  Name  some  other  colleges. 

9.  What  of  the  College  of  Missions? 

10.  What  of  Phillips  Bible  Institute? 

11.  What  of  the  Southern  Christian  Institute? 

12.  Give  the  grand  summary  of  our  educational 
interests. 


X. 

MISSIONARY 


12 


177 


OUTLINE— CHAPTER  X. 


1.  Work  Through  Societies. 

a.  American      Christian  Missionary 

Society. 

b.  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Mis- 

sions. 

c.  Foreign   Christian   Missionary  So- 

ciety. 

d.  National  Benevolent  Association. 

e.  Board  of  Church  Extension. 
/.  Board  of  Ministerial  Relief. 

2.  Independent  Work. 

a.  England. 

b.  Canada. 

c.  Australia. 

d.  Japan. 

e.  Australian  Missions. 
/.  France. 


178 


X. 


Missionary. 

a.  American  Christian  Mis- 
i.  Work  Through    sionary  Society.    The  American 
Societies  n,   .    .      Ar.    .  c    .  . 

Christian  Missionary  Society  was 

organized  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  October,  1849,  just 
forty  years  after  the  publication  of  the  ''Declaration 
and  Address,"  and  it  marks  a  forward  step  in  the 
history  of  the  Restoration  Movement.  Up  to  this 
time  questions  of  doctrine  and  of  local  church 
work  had  so  absorbed  the  thought  and  energies  of 
the  leaders  that  they  had  no  time  to  consider  mis- 
sionary problems.  But  henceforth  this  is  not  to 
be  true. 

As  early  as  1840  the  Harbinger  was  agitating  a 
closer  alliance  of  the  churches  in  a  wider  work 
than  could  be  accomplished  by  single  congregations. 
And  this  sentiment  so  increased  that  Mr.  Campbell, 
in  the  February  issue  of  1849,  said:  "There  is  now 
heard  from  the  East  and  from  the  West,  from  the 
North  and  from  the  South,  one  general,  if  not 
universal,  call  for  a  more  efficient  organization  of 
our  churches.  Experience  decides  that  our  present 
co-operative  system  is  comparatively  inefficient,  and 
inadequate  to  the  exigencies  of  the  times  and  the 
cause  we  plead."  Illustrating  his  thought,  he  com- 
pared the  churches  to  families,  and  said :  "The  con- 

179 


180 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


stitutional  independence,  and  individual  respon- 
sibilities of  families,  do  not  prevent  their  association 
in  towns,  cities  and  states  for  the  better  securing 
their  respective  interests.  .  .  .  Such  were  the  tribes 
of  Israel,  and  such,  to  a  certain  degree,  were  the 
churches  planted  by  the  Apostles."  Speaking  of  the 
details  of  such  organization,  he  said :  'These  are 
wisely  left  to  human  wisdom  and  prudence.  .  .  . 
Such  meetings  have  no  special  control  over  indi- 
vidual churches,  nor  any  deputed  or  divine  right  to 
exercise  jurisdiction  over  particular  communities." 

But  there  were  some  who  thought  such  conven- 
tions should  have  the  power  of  "a  sort  of  morally 
authoritative  deliverance"  in  the  settlement  of  the 
various  questions  which  naturally  rise  in  the  prog- 
ress of  the  work,  and  an  effort  to  this  end  was 
made  at  Cincinnati;  but  it  failed.  The  brethren 
were  extremely  anxious  to  have  it  known  that  they 
assumed  no  authority  over  the  churches,  and  that 
their  action  was  advisory,  and  not  mandatory.  And 
so,  W.  K.  Pendleton,  reporting  the  Convention, 
said :  "We  met,  not  for  the  purpose  of  enacting 
ecclesiastical  laws,  nor  to  interfere  with  the  Scrip- 
tural independence  of  the  churches,  but  to  consult 
about  the  best  ways  for  giving  efficiency  to  our 
power,  and  to  devise  such  methods  of  co-operation 
as  our  combined  counsels,  under  the  guidance  of 
Providence,  might  suggest  and  approve." 

Pursuant  to  a  general  call,  the  Convention 
assembled  in  the  church  at  Eighth  and  Walnut 
Streets,  Monday,  October  22.  The  day  following, 
a  temporary  organization  was  effected  by  calling 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


181 


Dr.  L.  L.  Pinkerton  to  the  chair,  and  electing  John 
M.  Braumwell,  secretary.  Permanent  officers  were 
then  chosen :  President,  A.  Campbell,  and  Vice-Pres- 
idents :  D.  S.  Burnet,  John  O'Kane,  John  T.  John- 
son and  Walter  Scott. 

The  Convention  met  for  business  the  next  morn- 
ing at  nine  o'clock.  President  Campbell  being 
absent  on  account  of  sickness,  Vice-President  Bur- 
net presided.  The  attendance,  all  things  considered, 
was  good.  Most  of  the  churches  were  west  of  the 
Alleghanies,  and  were  without  railroad  facilities. 
Many  came  long  distances  from  the  Atlantic  States, 
and  some  from  as  far  south  as  New  Orleans.  Most 
of  them  rode  horseback.  There  were  156  mes- 
sengers from  eleven  States,  representing  more  than 
one  hundred  churches. 

Sixty-two  years  have  passed  since  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society, 
and  she  has  demonstrated  her  right  to  live,  as  the 
following  record  shows:  Churches  established,  about 
4,000;  persons  baptized,  about  200,000;  received 
from  other  sources,  about  200,000;  money  raised 
and  disbursed,  about  $2,400,000. 

b.  The  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Mis- 
sions. This  society  was  organized  in  Cincinnati 
during  the  General  Convention,  October,  1874. 
After  much  consultation  between  a  number  of  influ- 
ential women,  Mrs.  Caroline  Pearre  wrote  Thomas 
Munnell,  corresponding  secretary  of  the  American 
Christian  Missionary  Society,  presenting  their  plans 
and  asking  his  advice.  In  his  answer  is  found  this 
beautiful  and  prophetic  sentence:  "This  is  a  flame 


182 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


of  the  Lord's  kindling,  and  no  man  can  extinguish 
it."  Isaac  Errett  wrote  his  famous  editorial  in  the 
Christian  Standard,  "Help  Those  Women,"  at  this 
time;  J.  H.  Garrison  also  lent  the  movement  the 
influence  of  his  paper,  The  Christian,  now  the 
Christian-Evangelist.  About  seventy-five  women 
participated  in  the  organization.  The  first  officers 
were  Mrs.  Maria  Jameson,  President;  Mrs.  William 
Wallace,  Recording  Secretary;  Mrs.  C.  N.  Pearre, 
Corresponding  Secretary,  and  Mrs.  O.  A.  Burgess, 
Treasurer,  with  headquarters  at  Indianapolis, 
Indiana.  These  officers  were  presented  to  the  Con- 
vention, and,  following  a  cordial  reception,  the  fol- 
lowing resolution  was  adopted:  "Resolved,  That 
this  Convention  extends  to  the  Christian  Woman's 
Board  of  Missions  recognition  and  hearty  approval, 
assured  that  it  opens  a  legitimate  field  of  action 
and  usefulness  in  which  Christian  women  may  be 
active  co-operants  of  ours  in  the  great  work  of 
sending  the  gospel  into  all  the  world.  We  pledge 
ourselves  to  help  these  women  who  propose  to  labor 
with  us  in  the  gospel." 

Their  motto  was,  "The  love  of  Christ  constrain- 
eth  us;"  their  field  was  the  world;  and  their  plan 
was  to  organize  auxiliary  societies  in  the  churches 
with  dues  of  ten  cents  a  month.  The  following, 
from  the  first  president  to  her  first  executive  com- 
mittee, touches  the  keynote  of  their  plan :  "As  little, 
insignificant  rivulets  from  unnoticed,  hidden  springs 
running  together  make  the  constant  larger  stream, 
which  hurrying  on  with  swollen  waters  bears  its 
steady  contribution  to  the  great  river,  so  will  the 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


183 


mites  of  the  poor  widows,  and  the  pennies  of  the 
children,  and  the  dollars  of  the  salaried  women,  and 
the  larger  sums  of  those  with  independent  incomes, 
flowing  together  make  one  great  stream  pouring 
forth  to  water  and  refresh  the  fields  of  missionary 
labor." 

Their  phenomenal  success  is  an  unanswerable 
argument  for  the  wisdom  of  their  plan.  The  forms 
of  work  are  evangelistic,  educational,  medical, 
orphanage,  colporteur,  industrial,  and  house-to-house 
visitation.  Their  fields  of  labor  are  the  United 
States,  Canada,  New  Zealand,  Jamaica,  India,  Mex- 
ico, Porto  Rico,  South  America  and  Africa. 

The  offerings  from  1874  to  date  amount  to  about 
$4,000,000,  and  the  property  is  valued  at  $1,000,000. 

c.  The  Foreign  Christian  Missionary 
Society.  This  society  was  organized  at  the  Nation- 
al Convention  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  in  1875. 
Officers  were  elected  as  follows :  President,  Isaac 
Errett;  Vice-Presidents,  W.  T.  Moore,  Jacob  Bur- 
net, J.  S.  Lamar ;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Robert 
MofTett;  Recording  Secretary,  B.  B.  Tyler;  Treas- 
urer, W.  S.  Dickinson,  with  headquarters  in  Cin- 
cinnati. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  women's  work,  there  was 
no  friction  or  opposition  to  the  "mother  society" 
in  this  move.  It  was  prompted  solely  by  the  con- 
viction that  the  work,  both  at  home  and  abroad, 
would  be  helped  by  it.  The  two  societies  have 
always  met  together  in  their  annual  conventions, 
and  have  worked  in  perfect  harmony. 

One  of  the  most  important   factors   in  this 


184 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


society  is  "Children's  Day."  Its  origin  is  natural, 
beautiful  and  inspiring.  Just  before  the  Louisville 
Convention  in  1880,  J.  H.  Garrison,  with  his  fam- 
ily, was  at  the  family  altar  at  the  close  of  the  day. 
The  father  in  his  prayer  asked  God  to  bless  their 
efforts  to  send  the  gospel  into  all  lands  by  leading 
every  one  to  more  liberal  giving  for  this  purpose. 
At  the  close  of  the  prayer  their  little  boys,  Arthur 
and  Earnest,  said :  "We  want  to  give  something." 
And  they  brought  their  jugs  and  emptied  them  of 
their  contents  of  $1.13,  and  said:  "We  want  this 
to  go  to  the  children  who  know  nothing  about 
Jesus."  The  father  took  it  to  Louisville,  and,  in  an 
address  before  the  Convention,  told  the  story.  It 
touched  the  hearts  and  opened  the  purses  of  every- 
body. And  to-day  this  pittance  has  been  so  mul- 
tiplied that  these  little  ones  have  more  than  a 
million  dollars  to  their  credit  for  the  evangelization 
of  the  world. 

The  society  is  at  work  in  Japan,  China,  Philip- 
pine Islands,  India,  Africa,  Cuba,  Norway,  Sweden, 
Denmark  and  England.  The  work  is  varied: 
evangelistic,  educational,  medical,  literary  and 
benevolent.  There  are  169  missionaries  and  759 
native  helpers,  totaling  928.  There  are  ninety-five 
schools  with  5,096  pupils,  and  of  this  number  295 
native  students  are  preparing  for  the  ministry  in 
their  native  lands.   Total  receipts,  about  $5,500,000. 

d.  The  National  Benevolent  Association. 
This  society  was  organized  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
in  1886.  The  first  act  of  the  Association  was  to  aid 
a  sick  brother  who  had  a  large  family  dependent 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


185 


upon  his  labor.  The  first  donation  was  five  dollars, 
which  came  from  Galena,  Kansas.  The  Association 
was  incorporated  in  1887,  with  St.  Louis  as  head- 
quarters; and  the  first  Home  was  opened  in  that 
city  in  1889,  in  a  rented  cottage. 

The  aim  of  the  Association  is  to  establish  Homes 
and  hospitals  wherever  needed ;  to  help  all  who 
deserve  assistance,  especially  those  of  our  own 
people ;  and  thus  save  orphan  children  and  aged 
Christians  from  the  almshouse,  and  thrill  the 
Restoration  Movement  with  the  spirit  of  benevo- 
lence seen  in  the  Lord  and  the  early  Church. 
Orphans  and  other  unfortunate  children,  under 
fourteen  years,  are  eligible  to  the  Homes  of  the 
Association.  These  are  placed  in  Christian  families 
as  rapidly  as  possible.  Old  and  indigent  Chris- 
tians of  seventy  years  are  received  on  recommenda- 
tion of  their  congregations,  and  upon  the  payment 
of  $100.  Husband  and  wife,  $150.  In  the  hospital 
the  destitute  sick  receive  free  treatment. 

The  work  of  the  Association  is  conducted  through 
eleven  affiliated  institutions:  Christian  Orphans' 
Home,  St.  Louis,  Missouri ;  Christian  Orphans' 
Home,  Cleveland,  Ohio;  Juliette  Fowler  Christian 
Home,  Dallas,  Texas;  Southern  Christian  Home, 
Atlanta,  Georgia;  Colorado  Christian  Home,  Den- 
ver, Colorado;  Northwestern  Christian  Benevolent 
Association,  Portland,  Oregon;  Christian  Old 
People's  Home,  Jacksonville,  Illinois;  Havens  Home 
for  the  Aged,  East  Aurora,  New  York;  Northwest- 
ern Christian  Home  for  the  Aged,  Walla  Walla, 
Washington;  Sarah  Harwood  Home  for  the  Aged, 


186 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


Dallas,  Texas;  Valparaiso  Christian  Hospital,  Val- 
paraiso, Indiana. 

The  Association  has  property  valued  at  $363,000, 
and  it  carries  annuities  amounting  to  $160,000.  It 
has  aided  two  hundred  aged,  indigent  Christians, 
one  thousand  widows,  and  placed  four  thousand 
orphan  children  in  homes.  All  in  all,  it  has  aided 
not  less  than  fifteen  thousand  people.  Total  money 
received,  about  $1,300,000. 

But  its  greatest  enterprise  is  an  immense 
national  hospital  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  costing 
more  than  a  million  dollars,  the  work  on  which  has 
already  begun.  A  large  part  of  its  work  is  to  be 
free  to  those  unable  to  pay.  This  noble  and  Christ- 
like enterprise  is  traceable  to  R.  A.  Long,  a  wealthy 
Christian  gentleman,  whose  warm  heart  suggested 
it,  and  whose  liberal  hand  has  made  it  possible. 

e.  The  Board  of  Church  Extension.  This 
Board  was  organized  at  the  National  Convention, 
Springfield,  Illinois,  in  1888,  with  headquarters  at 
Kansas  City,  Missouri.  F.  M.  Rains  was  the  first 
corresponding  secretary.  Its  purpose  is  to  help 
house  homeless  churches  by  lending  them  money  at 
a  low  interest,  to  be  returned  in  five  annual  install- 
ments. Many  good  business  men  doubted  the  wis- 
dom of  this  policy,  fearing  that  these  weak  mis- 
sion churches  would  not  be  eager  to  return  the 
money,  since  it  belonged  to  the  brotherhood.  But 
the  fact  that,  of  the  1,502  churches  thus  aided,  900 
have  paid  their  loans  in  full,  and  $1,259,241  has 
been  paid  back  on  loans,  has  dissipated  all  such 
fears.    And  the  further  fact  that  the  Board,  in 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


187 


handling  about  $2,500,000  in  loans  scattered  through 
forty-four  States  and  Territories  and  Canada,  has 
only  lost  $1,038,  which  is  about  one-twentieth  of 
one  per  cent.,  has  demonstrated  its  business  ability 
and  secured  for  itself  a  warm  place  in  the  heart 
of  the  brotherhood. 

/.  The  Board  of  Ministerial  Relief.  This 
Society  was  organized  at  the  National  Convention, 
Dallas,  Texas,  in  1895,  with  headquarters  at  Indian- 
apolis, Indiana.  The  purpose  is  to  care  for  aged, 
dependent  preachers.  The  contributions  have  been 
altogether  too  small  for  so  good  a  work,  but  they 
are  increasing,  and  the  outlook  is  bright.  A.  L. 
Orcutt  is  president  of  the  Board.  And  recently 
W.  R.  Warren,  a  man  eminently  fitted  for  the  field, 
has  been  added  to  the  official  force,  which  means 
a  large  success  in  the  near  future.  Receipts  for 
the  last  two  years  were  $40,000. 

Every  New  Testament  church 
2.  Independent      was    absolutelv    independent  of 
Work  1        i"  1 

every  other  church,  as  much  so 

as  the  different  families  of  a  community.  They 
acted  separately  or  in  concert  as  they  thought  best. 
And  this  must  continue  as  our  practice  if  we 
would  reproduce  the  church  of  that  day.  There 
must  be  no  exclusive  agencies.  If  one  chooses  to 
work  through  a  missionary  society,  let  him  do  it; 
but  if  he  chooses  to  work  through  his  own  congre- 
gation, or  as  an  individual,  he  must  not  be  molested. 
Our  societies  are  to  stand  or  fall,  not  by  the  offi- 
cial authority  of  a  convention,  but  by  merit.  We 
should  not  disparage  the  work  of  either,  but  encour- 


188 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


age  both,  so  long  as  they  result  in  the  salvation  of 
men.  Having  spoken  of  the  leading  societies,  we 
now  call  attention  to  some  of  the  independent  mis- 
sions. 

a.  England.  Let  it  not  be  forgotten  that  the 
thought  of  Christian  union  was  conceived  in  the 
heart  of  Thomas  Campbell  while  he  was  in  the 
Old  World,  though  it  was  born  in  America.  Let 
it  also  be  remembered  that  it  was  in  the  Old  World 
that  his  great  son,  Alexander,  first  saw  the  evil  of 
denominationalism,  and  broke  with  it;  and  it  was 
there  he  promised  God  that  if  he  would  save  him 
from  the  shipwreck  he  would  give  his  life  to  the 
ministry  of  the  Word.  Remembering  this,  as  we 
look  upon  the  greater  growth  of  their  work  in  the 
New  World,  we  will  not  forget  that  it  had  its  root- 
age in  the  Old.  It  will  also  deepen  our  interest  in 
the  progress  of  their  plea  in  that  land. 

The  leaven  brought  by  these  men  to  America, 
and  which  has  wrought  so  mightily  here,  has  not 
been  latent  there.  In  May,  1809,  there  was  a 
church  of  Christ  in  Chester,  Coxlane,  North 
Wales.  This  old  congregation — older  than  Brush 
Run — has  celebrated  its  one  hundredth  anniversary. 
And  during  the  first  quarter  of  the  last  century 
churches  were  organized  in  Bristol,  Shrewsbury, 
Wrexham  and  London,  and  in  other  places  in  the 
north.  But  these  churches  seemed  ignorant  of 
each  other,  and  of  similar  churches  in  America, 
until  1833.  It  was  in  this  year  that  a  young  stu- 
dent from  America — Peyton  C.  Wyeth — worshiped 
one  Sunday  morning  with  a  Baptist  church  near 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


189 


Finsbury  Pavement,  London.  He  had  heard  Alex- 
ander Campbell,  and  had  accepted  his  teachings,  and 
he  was  letting  his  light  shine  wherever  he  went — 
even  in  the  metropolis  of  the  world.  After  the 
service  he  spoke  to  William  Jones,  one  of  the 
officers  of  the  church,  and  a  religious  author  of 
ability,  and  told  him  of  the  Campbells  and  their 
wonderful  work  across  the  Atlantic.  Mr.  Jones 
was  so  impressed  by  the  story  of  the  young  enthu- 
siast that  he  wrote  Mr.  Campbell.  Soon  after  this 
he  started  the  British  Millennial  Harbinger,  hoping 
through  its  influence  to  swing  the  Scottish  Baptist 
churches  of  England  into  the  Restoration  Move- 
ment. Of  course  such  a  move  would  create  dissen- 
sion; and  when  the  editor  saw  it,  he  gave  it  up, 
rather  than  become  a  disturbing  element  among  his 
brethren. 

But  the  young  student's  work  was  not  in  vain. 
Other  churches,  struggling  for  the  reproduction  of 
primitive  Christianity,  heard  the  good  news,  got 
in  touch  with  each  other,  and  in  1842  forty-two 
of  them,  representing  thirteen  hundred  members, 
came  together  in  their  first  general  meeting  at 
Edinburgh.  In  1847  they  had  a  second  meeting  at 
Chester,  which  was  presided  over  by  Alexander 
Campbell,  who  was  present  at  the  urgent  invitation 
of  the  English  brethren.  This  meeting  represented 
eighty  churches,  with  twenty-three  hundred  mem- 
bers. 

In  1845  Timothy  Coop,  of  Southport,  was  con- 
verted. He  brought  into  the  church  wealth,  con- 
secration and  aggressiveness.    He  visited  America, 


190 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


and  imbibed  the  spirit  of  enterprise  characteristic 
of  the  American  Church,  and  he  sought  to  transfer 
it  to  England.  He  proposed  to  the  Foreign  Chris- 
tian Missionary  Society  to  give  $5,000  for  every 
$10,000  they  would  devote  to  the  evangelization  of 
England.  The  proposition  was  accepted,  and  evan- 
gelists were  sent  across  the  sea.  The  message  of 
these  men  was  familiar  and  acceptable,  but  the 
methods  were  so  new  and  strange  that  dissension 
followed.  Many  did  not  take  kindly  to  what  was  then 
a  new  evangelism ;  neither  did  they  like  to  appear 
as  though  they  needed  financial  aid  from  others; 
but  least  of  all  were  they  willing  to  be  classed 
among  those  in  need  of  missionaries  from  a  society 
whose  special  work  was  the  evangelization  of  the 
heathen.  Had  the  work  been  on  the  basis  of  co- 
operation with  the  English  brethren,  and  not  inde- 
pendently of  them,  results  would  probably  have 
been  different.  But  as  it  was,  in  1880  the  churches 
favoring  American  methods  formed  an  organiza- 
tion called  the  Christian  Association. 

This  new  organization  has  not  met  the  hopes  of 
its  friends.  It  has  now,  after  about  thirty  years, 
only  twenty  churches,  with  about  two  thousand 
members.  The  other  brethren  have  succeeded  bet- 
ter, and  now  have  190  churches,  with  a  member- 
ship of  about  fifteen  thousand.  But  the  difficulties 
here  are  great.  It  is  an  old  country,  with  the 
religious  habits  of  the  people  fixed  and  firm;  the 
Established  Church  is  there  entrenched  behind  the 
law,  and  rich  in  money  and  social  influence;  and 
the  brethren  have  no  college  in  which  to  train  their 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


191 


preachers.  But  if  these  people  could  be  brought 
together  in  harmonious  co-operation,  all  difficulties 
would  vanish,  and  God  would  crown  their  labors 
with  a  great  victory.  We  have  the  right  to  differ, 
but  not  to  divide,  except  on  fundamentals. 

b.  Canada.  Canada  is  the  land  of  opportunity. 
Sir  Wilfred  Laurier  says :  "The  nineteenth  cen- 
tury belonged  to  the  United  States;  the  twentieth 
century  will  belong  to  Canada."  Doubtless  Canada 
will  witness  wonderful  progress  in  the  next  hun- 
dred years;  but  the  same  will  be  true  of  the 
United  States.  They  are  sister  governments,  living 
side  by  side,  with  only  the  forty-ninth  parallel  of 
north  latitude,  unfortified,  and  an  imaginary  line 
midway  in  the  lakes  and  rivers,  between  them. 
But  such  lines  count  for  nothing  in  Christianity. 
Christ  was  a  Jew,  but  he  was  not  Jewish;  and  his 
religion,  born  in  little  Palestine,  is  for  the  world. 

Canada  is  a  large  country:  four  hundred  thou- 
sand square  miles  larger  than  the  United  States; 
and  it  forms  about  one-third  of  the  British  Empire, 
and  is  only  a  little  less  in  size  than  the  continent  of 
Europe.  Omitting  the  northern  section,  which  is 
hardly  habitable,  it  is  still  equal  in  territory  with 
her  southern  sister.  The  soil  is  rich,  the  mineral 
wealth  is  great,  and  the  climate  is  invigorating,  con- 
ducive to  the  production  of  a  hardy,  energetic  and 
thinking  people.  The  population  is  now  more  than 
eight  million,  and  is  increasing  rapidly. 

The  first  traces  of  the  Restoration  principles 
were  seen  at  River  John,  Nova  Scotia,  about  1815, 
in  the  old  Scotch  Baptist  order.    The  work  in 


192 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


Prince  Edward  was  a  development  from  this  order. 
Benjamin  Howard,  an  evangelist  from  the  United 
States,  preached  in  this  region  fully  seventy-five 
years  ago.  His  was  the  work  of  promiscuous  seed- 
sowing,  for  no  churches  were  organized  till  1840. 
D.  Crawford,  G.  Garrity,  W.  Hughes  and  H. 
Greenlow  were  also  worthy  pioneers  in  that 
country. 

Canada  now  has  100  churches,  10,000  members, 
90  ministers,  and  church  property  worth  $250,000. 
Her  expenditures  annually  are  about  $50,000  for 
local  work,  $7,000  for  Home  Missions,  $4,000  for 
Foreign  Missions,  and  $3,000  from  the  women. 
These  figures  are  proof  of  a  consecrated  band  of 
Christians,  awake  alike  to  the  wants  of  the  world 
at  home  and  abroad.  The  first  grave  dug  in  the 
foreign  field  was  for  a  daughter  of  Nova  Scotia ; 
and  it  was  a  daughter  of  Ontario,  with  great  sacri- 
fice, who  first  knocked  at  the  door  of  Tibet. 
Besides  these,  she  has  sent  many  others  to  the 
heathen  world,  and  given  to  the  United  States  a 
large  number  of  her  most  useful  men.  But,  like 
England,  her  chief  need  is  a  school  in  which  to 
train  her  sons  and  daughters  for  the  fruitful  field 
crying  for  more  laborers. 

c.  Australia.  Australia,  the  island-continent, 
and  the  largest  of  the  islands,  has  a  coast-line  of 
ten  thousand  miles,  and  is  two-thirds  as  large  as 
the  United  States.  The  population  is  nearing  the 
5,000,000  mark,  and  is  growing  at  a  rapid  rate.  The 
soil  is  among  the  best  in  the  world,  and  the  mineral 
wealth  is  wonderful.    The  output  of  her  mines 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


193 


increased  from  $40,000,000  in  1871  to  $120,000,000 
in  1905.  Her  imports  in  1908  reached  the  hand- 
some sum  of  $500,000,000,  and  her  exports, 
$610,000,000. 

The  seed  of  the  primitive  gospel  came  to  this 
great  Southland  from  the  British  churches.  This 
was  as  it  should  be,  for  Great  Britain  is  the  mother 
of  Australia.  Sturdy  men  from  the  home  land 
came  there,  and  at  once  unfurled  the  Lord's  ban- 
ner, established  the  Lord's  table  in  their  homes,  and 
began  to  tell  their  neighbors  of  his  love  and  his 
power  to  save.  For  years  they  had  no  preachers 
giving  their  entire  time  to  the  ministry  of  the 
Word,  but  all  of  them  preached  all  the  time,  as 
they  mingled  with  men  in  the  business  and  social 
world  (see  Acts  8:4),  and  the  Lord  saw  to  it  that 
his  word  did  not  return  to  him  void  (Isa.  55:  11). 

While  the  work  thus  had  its  origin  from  Great 
Britain,  it  received  a  wonderful  impetus  from 
American  importations.  From  the  British  churches 
they  received  the  good  seed  of  the  kingdom,  and 
were  rooted  and  grounded  in  loyalty  to  the  Lord. 
But  from  America  came  royal  spirits,  among  them 
Earl,  Surber,  Gore,  Geeslin,  Carr,  Haley,  Maston, 
and  others,  who  brought  with  them  the  American 
spirit  of  co-operation  and  evangelism,  and  the  com- 
bination proved  a  rich  blessing  to  the  cause.  In 
Adelaide,  where  work  began  in  the  late  forties,  there 
are  ten  churches,  three  missions,  and  about  four 
thousand  members;  in  Sydney,  where  it  began  in 
1851,  there  are  fourteen  churches,  with  about  three 
thousand  members ;  and  in  Melbourne,  where  it 

13 


194 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


began  in  1853,  there  are  thirty-five  churches,  and 
more  than  five  thousand  members.  The  work  has 
more  than  doubled  in  the  last  eighteen  years,  and 
there  are  now  on  the  island  about  thirty  thousand 
members. 

Australia  has  taken  two  important  steps  looking 
to  the  prosperity  and  permanency  of  the  work: 
established  a  paper  and  a  college.  The  Australian 
Christian  was  established  by  the  late  A.  B.  Maston, 
and  it  is  doing  good  service.  And  the  Australasian 
Bible  College  in  Melbourne  has  about  fifty  young 
men  preparing  to  preach  the  gospel.  This  is  a 
hopeful  beginning. 

d.  Japan.  Soon  after  his  graduation  from 
Bethany  College  in  1894,  W.  D.  Cunningham  was 
asked  by  the  Foreign  Society  to  become  one  of 
their  missionaries.  In  1898  he  and  his  wife  were 
appointed  to  go  to  Japan.  Two  days  after  start- 
ing for  the  field  Mr.  Cunningham  was  taken  ill. 
And  after  his  recovery  the  Board  decided  that  they 
would  not  be  able  to  do  the  work,  and  did  not 
reappoint  him.  But  they  would  not  be  dissuaded. 
They  felt  that  God  had  called  them,  and  they 
would  go,  trusting  him  for  all  things  needed.  On 
October  1,  1901,  they  reached  Tokyo.  Mr.  Cun- 
ningham secured  the  position  of  English  teacher  in 
a  school  and  thus  provided  for  living  expenses. 
He  soon  organized  Bible  classes,  distributed  Chris- 
tian literature,  and  began  to  preach  on  the  streets. 
Just  one  month  after  his  arrival  he  began  the 
publication  of  the  Tokyo  Christian,  a  monthly,  and 
it  has  become  a  permanent  feature  of  his  work. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


195 


The  Lord  has  never  disappointed  those  who 
trust  in  him.  In  1902  Miss  Alice  Miller  asked  Mr. 
Cunningham  to  take  charge  of  the  evangelistic  work 
which  she  had  conducted  successfully  in  Yotsuya. 
The  invitation  was  accepted,  and  plans  were  at  once 
adopted  for  needed  buildings.  Friends  in  America 
came  to  the  rescue,  and  the  buildings  were  erected. 
Three  missions  have  been  established,  and  three 
evangelists  are  employed,  and  more  than  two  hun- 
dred have  been  baptized  into  the  Christ. 

e.  Australian  Missions.  The  New  Zealand 
churches  support  three  white  missionaries  at  Bula- 
wayo,  South  Africa.  The  Australian  churches  sup- 
port, as  living  links  through  the  Foreign  Christian 
Missionary  Society,  one  missionary  each  in  China, 
Japan  and  India.  Two  other  stations  have  been 
established:  at  Beramati,  India,  and  one  on  Pente- 
cost Island,  New  Hebrides.  Seven  white  mission- 
aries and  twelve  natives  are  employed  at  these  two 
points,  and  more  than  three  hundred  have  been  bap- 
tized in  a  single  year.  Their  work  is  done  through  a 
committee  appointed  by  the  churches  in  their  annual 
conference. 

/.  France.  In  May,  1909,  Alfred  E.  Seddon 
was  sent  by  the  Christian  Standard  to  France  to 
write  up  the  Hors-de-Rome  movement  in  that 
country.  He  was  to  remain  there  five  months.  No 
other  instructions  were  given,  hence  the  mission 
work  that  sprang  out  of  it  may  be  regarded  as  a 
work  of  Providence. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Seddon  reached  Paris  he  made 
the  acquaintance  of  some  ex-priests,  and  a  sys- 


196 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


tematic  study  of  the  New  Testament  was  begun. 
The  first  meeting  was  held  in  the  home  of  Mr. 
Hautefeuille  on  July  4.  Ten  ex-priests  and  some 
of  their  wives  were  present.  On  the  first  Lord's 
Day  of  August  regular  preaching  services  were 
inaugurated  in  a  hall.  These  meetings  were  kept 
up  until  May,  1911.  On  September  8,  Mr.  Haute- 
feuille, who  had  recently  been  baptized,  was  solemn- 
ly set  apart  to  the  ministry  of  the  Word.  In  the 
month  following,  Mr.  Seddon  secured  a  three  years' 
lease  on  the  house,  No.  45  rue  Raspail,  Vanves 
(Seine),  just  outside  of  Paris,  on  the  southwest, 
which  became  the  headquarters  of  the  work.  It 
was  known  as  "Ecole  Biblique."  Sunday  preaching 
services  were  held  at  two  places,  with  Bible  school, 
and  a  meeting  for  mothers. 

A  paper,  the  Messager  Chretien,  was  published; 
and  also  a  number  of  books,  tracts  and  New  Testa- 
ments have  been  translated  and  distributed.  A 
large  correspondence  reached  influential  persons  in 
France,  Belgium,  Switzerland  and  Italy.  About  fifty 
people  were  baptized. 

The  outbreak  of  the  war  drove  Mr.  Seddon  from 
Paris,  and  the  work,  which  was  already  greatly 
hampered  by  internal  difficulties,  was  suspended, 
whether  to  be  resumed  or  not  has  yet  to  be  deter- 
mined. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


197 


Questions. 

1.  Why  was  missionary  organization  delayed? 

2.  Give  the  earliest  discussions  on  the  subject. 

3.  Tell  of  the  organization  of  the  American 
Christian  Missionary  Society. 

4.  Tell  of  the  organization  of  the  Christian 
Woman's  Board  of  Missions. 

5.  Tell  of  the  organization  of  the  Foreign 
Christian  Missionary  Society. 

6.  Tell  of  the  organization  of  the  National 
Benevolent  Association. 

7.  Tell  of  the  organization  of  the  Board  of 
Church  Extension. 

8.  Tell  of  the  organization  of  the  Board  of 
Ministerial  Relief. 

9.  What  of  the  idea  of  independent  missions 
as  related  to  the  work  of  the  societies? 

10.  What  of  the  independent  work  in  England? 

11.  What  of  the  independent  work  in  Canada? 

12.  What  of  the  independent  work  in  Australia? 

13.  What  of  the  independent  work  in  Japan? 

14.  What  of  the  independent  work  in  France? 


XL 

FOUR  GREAT  LIEUTENANTS 


199 


OUTLINE— CHAPTER  XI. 

1.  Walter  Scott. 

a.  Early  Life. 

b.  To  America. 

c.  Conversion. 

d.  Meets  A.  Campbell. 

e.  Scott  and  Campbell  Contrasted. 
/.  As  a  Preacher. 

g.  Death. 

2.  "Raccoon"  John  Smith. 

a.  Unique  Character. 

b.  Early  Life. 

c.  First  Sermon. 

d.  Ordination. 

e.  Children  Burned. 

/.  Abandons  Denominationalism. 

g.  Many-sided. 

h.  As  a  Preacher. 

i.  Our  Daniel  Boone. 

3.  Isaac  Errett. 

a.  Man  of  Providence. 

b.  Early  Life. 

c.  Editor  "Christian  Standard." 

d.  A  Good  Man. 

e.  A  Courageous  Man. 
/.  An  Ideal  Leader. 

g.  Defender  of  the  Faith. 

200 


John  William  McGarvey. 

a.  Early  Life. 

b.  In  Bethany  College. 

c.  Ordination. 

d.  To  Lexington,  Kentucky. 

e.  Man  of  Courage. 
/.  Bible  Critic. 

g.  Strong  Preacher. 

h.  Forceful  Writer. 
*.  Bible  Teacher. 


201 


XL 


Four  Great  Lieutenants. 

Mr.  Campbell  was  a  matchless  leader,  but  he 
always  had  about  him  a  host  of  heroic  helpers,  and 
the  story  of  his  wonderful  achievements  can  not  be 
fully  or  fairly  told  without  a  brief  look  at  a  few 
of  these  men. 

a.  Early  Life.    Mr.  Scott 
i.  Walter  Scott      wag  ^   b  Dumfrie. 

shire,  Scotland,  October  31,  1796.  He  was  one  of 
ten  children.  John  Scott,  his  father,  was  a  man 
of  culture,  and  a  musician  of  ability.  His  mother, 
Mary  Innes  Scott,  was  not  only  a  brilliant  woman, 
but  she  was  as  sweet  and  beautiful  as  the  rose,  and 
as  sensitive.  A  sad  illustration  of  this  is  seen  in 
her  tragic  death.  Her  husband  died  suddenly  while 
away  from  home,  and  so  great  was  the  shock  when 
she  heard  of  it  that  she  died  of  a  broken  heart,  and 
both  were  buried  in  a  single  grave. 

His  parents  early  in  his  life  recognized  the 
talent  of  their  son,  and  determined  to  give  him  the 
best  educational  advantages;  and  so,  after  careful 
academic  training,  he  completed  his  education  in 
Edinburgh  University,  and  entered  life's  conflicts 
well  equipped  for  the  struggle. 

b.  Comes  to  America.    Through  the  influence 

of  an  uncle — George  Innes — he  emigrated  to  the 

203 


BEGAN  AXD  GREW 


203 


New  World,  landing  in  New  York,  July  7,  1818.. 
in  his  twenty-second  year,  and  began  his  career  on 
the  Faculty  of  a  classical  academy  on  Long  Island. 
But,  having  tasted  adventure,  and  liking  it,  he  was 
soon  on  his  way  West  to  visit  the  vast  regions 
beyond  the  Alleghany  Mountains.  With  a  com- 
panion of  his  own  age  he  made  on  foot  the  long, 
rough  journey  of  more  than  three  hundred  miles, 
reaching  Pittsburgh,  with  tired  limbs  and  sore  feet, 
on  the  7th  of  May,  1819.  Here  he  found  a  fel- 
low-countryman, George  Forrester,  who  gave  him 
a  place  on  the  Faculty  of  his  school.  They  were 
congenial  spirits,  and  at  once  became  fast  friends, 
and  fellow-students  of  the  Bible.  Mr.  Forrester's 
religious  life  had  been  influenced  by  the  Haldanes 
of  Scotland,  whose  work  was  close  akin  to  that 
to  which  young  Scott  was  destined  to  devote  his 
life. 

c.  Conversion.  Their  joint  study  of  the  Book, 
not  as  controversialists,  but  with  a  burning  desire 
to  know  the  truth  that  they  might  live  it,  gave 
to  the  Scriptures  a  new  meaning.  It  was  no  longer 
a  repository  of  proof-texts  from  which  to  establish 
theological  systems,  or  a  jumble  of  gems  from 
heaven,  but  it  was  an  orderly  development  of  the 
scheme  of  redemption,  as  much  so  as  the  text-books 
used  in  their  classrooms.  Mr.  Scott  soon  had  to 
give  up  infant  baptism,  which  he  had  received  from 
his  pious  Presbyterian  parents ;  nor  was  it  long  until 
both  of  them  abandoned  affusion  altogether,  and 
were  buried  with  their  Lord  in  baptism. 

d.  Meets  Alexander  Campbell.    In  1822,  at 


204 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


the  age  of  twenty-six,  Mr.  Scott  first  met  Alex- 
ander Campbell.  The  Lord  had  made  them  for 
each  other,  and  they  seemed  intuitively  to  recognize 
the  fact,  for  from  that  moment  a  friendship  and 
partnership  in  the  work  of  the  Master  began  which 
grew  in  depth  and  power  till  ended  by  death. 
They  were  by  nature  kindred  spirits,  and  had  been 
born  and  reared  in  the  same  religious  atmosphere. 
Both  loved  the  Bible  with  an  unquenchable  love, 
and  were  taxing  every  energy  to  know  what  it 
taught.  Both  were  disgusted  with  human  creeds, 
and  were  searching  for  something  full  and  final  as 
a  bond  of  union  for  Christians. 

e.  Scott  and  Campbell  Contrasted.  Dr.  Rob- 
ert Richardson,  one  of  Scott's  students,  contrasts  the 
two  men  as  follows :  "While  Air.  Campbell  was 
fearless,  self-reliant  and  firm,  Air.  Scott  was  natu- 
rally timid,  diffident  and  yielding;  and,  while  the 
former  was  calm,  steady  and  prudent,  the  latter 
was  excitable,  variable  and  precipitate.  The  one, 
like  the  north  star,  was  ever  in  position,  unaffected 
by  terrestrial  influences ;  the  other,  like  the  magnetic 
needle,  was  often  disturbed  and  trembling  on  its 
center,  yet  ever  returning,  or  seeking  to  return,  to 
its  true  direction.  Both  were  nobly  endowed  with 
the  power  of  higher  reason — a  delicate  self-con- 
sciousness, a  decided  will,  and  a  clear  perception 
of  truth.  But  in  Mr.  Campbell  the  understanding 
predominated ;  in  Air.  Scott,  the  feelings ;  and,  if 
the  former  excelled  in  imagination,  the  latter  was 
superior  in  brilliancy  of  fancy.  If  the  tendency  of 
one  was  to  generalize,  to  take  wide  and  extended 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


205 


views,  and  to  group  a  multitude  of  particulars  under 
a  single  head  or  principle,  that  of  the  other  was  to 
analyze,  to  divide  subjects  into  their  particulars  and 
consider  their  details.  If  one  possessed  the  induc- 
tive power  of  the  philosopher,  the  other  had,  in 
a  more  delicate  musical  faculty  and  more  active 
ideality,  a  larger  share  of  the  attributes  of  the 
poet.  In  a  word,  in  almost  all  those  qualities  of 
mind  and  character  which  might  be  regarded  as 
differential  or  distinctive,  they  were  singularly  fitted 
to  supply  each  other's  wants,  and  to  form  a  rare 
and  delightful  companionship.  Nor  were  their  dif- 
ferences in  personal  appearance  and  physical  consti- 
tution less  striking.  Mr.  Campbell  was  tall,  vigorous 
and  athletic.  Mr.  Scott  was  not  above  the  average 
height,  slender  and  rather  spare  in  person,  and 
possessed  of  little  muscular  strength.  While  the 
aspect  of  one  was  ever  lively  and  cheerful  even  in 
repose,  that  of  the  other  was  abstracted,  medita- 
tive, and  sometimes  had  even  an  air  of  sadness. 
Their  features,  too,  were  very  different.  Mr. 
Campbell's  face  had  no  straight  lines  in  it.  Even 
his  nose,  already  arched,  was  turned  slightly  to 
the  right,  and  his  eyes  and  hair  were  comparatively 
light.  Mr.  Scott's  nose  was  straight;  his  lips  rather 
full,  but  delicately  chiseled;  his  eyes  dark  and  lus- 
trous, full  of  intelligence  and  softness,  and  with- 
out the  peculiar  eagle  glance  so  striking  in  Mr. 
Campbell,  while  his  hair,  clustering  above  his  fine, 
ample  forehead,  was  black  as  the  raven's  wing." 
William  Baxter  also  contrasts  them.  He  says : 
"In  no  sense  were  they  rivals,  any  more  than 


206  HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 

Moses  and  Aaron,  or  Paul  and  Silas;  but,  like 
them,  with  different  gifts,  devoting  their  lives  to 
the  accomplishment  of  the  same  glorious  end. 
Campbell  was  always  great  and  self-possessed; 
Scott,  subject  to  great  depression,  and,  consequently, 
unequal  in  his  public  efforts.  But  at  times  he  knew 
a  rapture  which  seemed  almost  inspiration,  to  which 
the  former  was  a  stranger.  Campbell  never  fell 
below  the  expectation  of  his  hearers ;  Scott  fre- 
quently did,  but  there  were  times  when  he  rose  to 
a  height  of  eloquence  which  the  former  never 
equaled.  If  Campbell  at  times  reminded  his  hear- 
ers of  Paul  on  Mars'  Hill,  commanding  the  atten- 
tion of  the  assembled  wisdom  of  Athens,  Scott  in 
his  happiest  moments  seemed  more  like  Peter  at 
Pentecost,  with  the  cloven  tongue  of  flame  on  his 
head,  and  the  inspiration  of  the  Spirit  in  his  heart, 
while  from  heart-pierced  sinners  on  every  side  rose 
the  agonizing  cry,  'Men  and  brethren,  what  shall 
we  do?'" 

In  these  graphic  pen-pictures  of  Mr.  Campbell 
and  his  greatest  lieutenant  we  get  a  good  view  of 
the  men,  and  are  impressed  with  their  fitness  for 
joint  labors  in  a  common  cause. 

/.  Scott  as  a  Preacher.  Mr.  Scott  was  a 
great  preacher,  not  only  because  of  his  gifts  as  a 
speaker,  but  because  of  his  theme.  Like  Paul,  he 
knew  nothing  but  Christ  and  him  crucified.  Christ 
to  him  was  the  central  sun  around  which  all  other 
truth  revolved,  and  from  which  it  received  its  light 
and  life.  "Shut  your  eyes  to  it,"  he  said,  "and 
Christianity  is  a  most  dark  and  perplexing  scheme. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


207 


Once  behold  it,  and  you  behold  the  most  certain 
and  substantial  argument  for  love  to  God  and  men." 
Fifty  years  later  Isaac  Errett  said :  ''The  most  thor- 
oughly revolutionary  element  in  Walter  Scott's 
advocacy  of  reformation,  and  that  which  has  proved 
most  far-reaching  in  its  influence,  is  just  this  con- 
cerning the  central  truth  in  Christianity.  It  not 
only  shaped  all  his  preaching,  but  it  shaped  the 
preaching  and  practice  of  reformers  generally,  and 
called  the  attention  of  the  religious  world  at  large 
to  the  fact  that  a  person,  and  not  a  system  of  doc- 
trines, is  the  proper  object  of  faith,  and  that  faith 
in  Jesus,  and  love  for  Jesus,  and  obedience  to 
Jesus,  is  the  grand  distinction  of  Christianity." 

In  1830  he  was  on  his  favorite  theme  before  a 
great  audience  in  a  grove  near  Wheeling,  Virginia, 
and  Mr.  Campbell  was  among  his  hearers.  His 
distinguished  hearer,  usually  calm  and  self-composed, 
on  this  occasion  was  aroused;  his  eyes  flashed,  his 
face  glowed,  and  his  emotions  became  so  intense 
that  he  shouted,  "Glory  to  God  in  the  highest!" 

As  an  evangelist  Mr.  Scott  was  at  his  best. 
God  wanted  him  for  this  special  work,  and  when 
endowing  him  for  it  he  was  lavish  in  his  gifts. 
His  warm  heart,  his  musical  voice,  his  chaste  and 
charming  language,  his  tender  pathos,  his  winsome 
personality,  his  burning  zeal,  and  his  great  theme, 
"The  Messiahship,"  made  him  almost  irresistible. 
And  it  was  Scott,  rather  than  Barton  W.  Stone, 
who  struck  the  keynote  of  evangelism  which  has 
been  so  marked  a  characteristic  among  his  brethren. 
Our  corps  of  strong  evangelists,  led  on  by  Charles 


208 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


Reign  Scoville,  and  others  almost  as  famous,  next 
to  the  Apostles,  get  their  inspiration  from  Walter 
Scott. 

His  mind  was  analytical,  and  he  so  simplified 
a  subject  that  all  could  understand.  He  told  the 
people  that  the  gospel  in  general  was  threefold : 
facts,  commands  and  promises.  The  facts  were  to 
be  believed,  the  commands  to  be  obeyed,  and  the 
promises  to  be  enjoyed.  But  in  its  specific  applica- 
tion it  was  fivefold:  (1)  Faith  to  change  the  heart; 
(2)  repentance  to  change  the  life;  (3)  baptism  to 
change  the  state;  (4)  remission  of  sins  to  cleanse 
from  guilt;  (5)  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  help 
in  the  religious  life,  and  make  one  a  partaker  of 
the  divine  nature. 

Near  the  close  of  1855  Mr.  Scott  visited  his 
old-time  friend  and  colaborer  in  his  home  in  Beth- 
any. He  was  cordially  received,  and  his  spirit  was 
greatly  refreshed.  From  early  manhood  these  two 
true  and  strong  men  had  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder 
and  heart  to  heart  in  one  of  the  greatest  struggles 
of  Christendom,  and  they  had  seen  victory  perch 
upon  the  banner  of  Prince  Jesus.  And  while  life's 
sun  was  setting  it  was  good  for  them  that  they 
could  be  together  again,  and  in  gratitude,  not  in 
pride,  look  back  over  the  long  way  they  had  trav- 
eled together,  and  rejoice  that  they  had  been  useful 
in  the  service  of  their  Lord. 

g.  Death.  Mr.  Scott  died  April  23,  1861,  aged 
sixty-five  years.  Mr.  Campbell  said  of  him:  "Next 
to  my  father,  he  was  my  most  cordial  and  indefati- 
gable colaborer  in  the  origin  and  progress  of  the 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


209 


present  Reformation.  His  whole  heart  was  in  the 
work.  He  had  a  rich  hope  of  the  life  everlasting. 
I  knew  him  well.  I  knew  him  long.  I  loved  him 
much.  By  the  eye  of  faith  and  the  eye  of  hope 
methinks  I  see  him  in  Abraham's  bosom." 


was  at  all  like  him.  He  occupies  a  place  altogether 
his  own.  This  peculiar  and  undignified  nickname 
is  not  a  whit  more  peculiar  than  the  man  who  wore 
it.  But  just  why  he  should  have  received  such  a 
name  is  not  clear,  for  he  was  never  a  hunter  of 
anything,  much  less  of  raccoons.  But  in  some  way 
it  was  thrown  at  him,  and  it  stuck,  and  perhaps  he 
will  never  get  rid  of  it,  either  in  this  world  or  in 
the  world  to  come.  And  yet  it  must  be  admitted 
that  if  there  ever  was  a  name  needing  a  distinguish- 
ing prefix,  his  was  that  name;  for  if  all  the  John 
Smiths  could  be  assembled  in  a  single  audience,  it 
would  be  no  mean  multitude ;  or  if  marshaled  under 
a  single  banner,  it  would  make  a  small  army. 

b.  Early  Life.  Mr.  Smith,  the  ninth  of  thir- 
teen children,  was  born  in  a  little  log  cabin  in  East 
Tennessee,  October  15,  1784.  The  library  in  this 
cabin  consisted  of  three  books:  the  Bible,  the  Con- 
fession of  Faith,  and  a  hymn-book.  These  books 
were  supplemented  by  the  wit  and  wisdom  of  his 
Irish  mother,  who  stored  his  mind  with  legend, 
history  and  true  principles.  Occasionally  a  school- 
teacher came  that  way,  and  John  was  always  one 
of  his  best  pupils. 


2.  "Raccoon" 
John  Smith 


a.  Unique  Character.  Mr. 
Smith  was  the  most  unique  char- 
acter of  his  time.    No  one  else 


14 


210 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


When  John  was  twelve  years  old  the  father 
crossed  the  Cumberland  Mountains  and  plunged 
deeper  into  the  wilderness  in  search  of  cheaper 
land  for  his  children,  locating  in  a  beautiful  sec- 
tion known  as  Stockton's  Valley.  And  soon  after 
this  John's  young  heart  began  to  yearn  for,  and 
reach  after,  God.  But  Calvinism  in  its  extremest 
form  was  the  only  religion  that  he  could  find.  His 
logical  mind  turned  from  this,  and  he  said:  "Since 
my  destiny  is  fixed  and  I  can  not  change  it,  I  need 
not  give  myself  any  concern.  I  have  nothing  to 
do."  But  his  conclusion,  though  logical  so  far  as 
Calvinism  was  concerned,  did  not  satisfy  his  soul; 
and  after  the  death  of  his  mother  in  1804,  his 
spiritual  agony  became  great,  and  he  never  rested 
until  on  the  26th  day  of  December  he  was  received 
into  the  Baptist  Church,  and  on  the  day  following 
was  baptized. 

c.  First  Sermon.  Preachers  were  scarce  in 
those  days,  and  the  neighbors  urged  John  to  preach 
to  them.  But  as  he  had  received  no  strange  call, 
something  like  that  of  the  burning  bush,  he  hesi- 
tated. But  they  would  not  take  "No"  for  an 
answer,  and  finally  he  consented  to  make  a  talk. 
But,  alas!  when  he  rose  to  address  the  large  crowd, 
he  was  seized  with  "stage  fright,"  and  forgot 
everything  he  had  to  say.  He  fled  from  the  house; 
but  in  the  darkness  outside  he  stumbled  and  fell. 
The  shock  of  the  fall  restored  his  equilibrium,  and 
he  re-entered  the  room  immediately,  and  delivered 
a  thrilling  address — the  peculiar  beginning  of  a 
wonderful  ministry. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


211 


d.  Ordination.  But  he  continued  to  wait  for 
the  strange,  miraculous  call.  It  came  not.  The 
brethren  urged  him  to  take  up  the  work  anyway; 
and  he  finally  consented  to  be  ordained.  He  then 
traveled  far  and  wide,  and  his  fame  spread  abroad 
so  that  he  soon  had  calls  enough  for  a  dozen 
preachers. 

e.  Children  Burned.  Not  long  after  this 
occurred  the  saddest  episode  of  his  life.  He  sold 
his  home  for  fifteen  hundred  dollars  and  went  to 
Alabama  in  search  of  a  new  home.  In  1814  he  left 
his  family  in  a  little  rented  cabin  and  went  out 
to  select  a  location.  But  while  he  was  away  the 
cabin  burned,  and  two  of  his  children  and  all  his 
money  were  consumed  in  the  flames.  The  poor 
mother  escaped,  but  her  heart  was  broken,  and  she 
died,  and  was  buried  with  the  ashes  of  her  children. 

With  a  sad  heart  and  an  empty  purse,  the  father 
returned  to  Kentucky  and  continued  to  preach,  but 
in  a  different  tone.  He  knew  that  his  little  children 
were  innocent  and  irresponsible,  and  he  rebelled  at 
the  awful  doctrine  of  infant  damnation  as  taught 
by  Calvinism.  But  his  vision  was  only  partially 
cleared.  He  saw  the  error  of  Calvinism,  but  he 
could  not  find  its  corresponding  truth  in  the  Bible. 
In  the  midst  of  a  sermon  he  was  so  puzzled  over 
this  point  that  he  stopped  and  said:  "Brethren, 
something  is  wrong.  I  am  in  the  dark;  we  are 
all  in  the  dark;  but  how  to  lead  you  to  the  light, 
or  to  find  the  way  myself,  before  God  I  know 
not." 

/.  Abandons  Denominationalism.    But  God 


212 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


saw  his  struggling  child,  and  he  came  to  his  rescue. 
The  Christian  Baptist,  edited  by  Alexander  Camp- 
bell, was  placed  in  his  hands.  This  bold  religious 
monthly  was  just  the  thing  he  needed.  With  sledge- 
hammer blows  it  dealt  with  the  very  problems 
which  puzzled  him.  And  so,  the  next  year,  1824, 
when  Air.  Campbell  visited  Kentucky,  Smith  met 
him,  and  communed  much  with  him,  and,  as  a 
result,  he  became  a  convert  to  his  teachings  concern- 
ing the  ancient  order  of  things.  He  thought  his 
Baptist  brethren,  when  they,  too,  saw  the  light, 
would  go  with  him;  but  he  was  destined  to  disap- 
pointment. Instead,  bigotry  and  prejudice  waged 
a  fierce  war  against  him,  and  in  1830  a  rupture 
occurred  in  their  ranks,  but  a  majority  of  the 
people  went  with  Smith.  The  opposition  brought 
out  the  best  that  was  in  him,  so  that  he  went  every- 
where like  a  conquering  hero.  Converts  were  num- 
bered by  the  thousands,  and  new  churches  by  the 
scores.  In  his  zeal  he  hardly  took  time  to  eat  or 
sleep,  and  the  results  of  his  labors  were  almost 
incredible.  In  reporting  them  for  only  a  few 
months,  he  said  to  his  wife,  "Nancy,  I  have  bap- 
tized six  hundred  sinners,  and  capsized  fifteen  hun- 
dred Baptists." 

g.  Many-sided.  Smith  was  a  many-sided  man. 
His  brain  was  strong  and  clear,  his  common  sense 
was  remarkable,  his  heart  was  large  and  tender,  his 
insight  was  like  that  of  woman,  his  memory  held 
all  it  got,  his  repartee  and  wit  were  the  best  that 
the  Irish  blood  of  his  gifted  mother  could  produce, 
and  his  courage  and  conscience  were  never  sepa- 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


213 


rated  in  the  many  battles  of  his  checkered  life. 
The  question  with  him  was  never  whether  a  certain 
course  was  popular  or  unpopular,  but  was  it  right. 
Eljiah  facing  Ahab,  and  John  before  Herod,  were 
fit  types  of  this  modern-day  hero.  When  he  broke 
with  his  Baptist  brethren,  many  of  them  said  to 
him:  "Your  friends  will  abandon  you,  you  will 
get  nothing  for  your  preaching,  your  debts  will 
press  you  to  the  earth,  and  eventually  your  home 
must  be  given  up."  His  noble  reply  was:  "Con- 
science is  an  article  that  I  have  never  yet  brought 
into  the  market;  but  if  I  should  offer  it  for  sale, 
Montgomery  County,  with  all  its  lands  and  houses, 
would  not  be  enough  to  buy  it,  much  less  that  farm 
of  one  hundred  acres." 

h.  As  a  Preacher.  But  it  is  as  a  great  preacher 
that  Smith  will  be  remembered.  He  knew  the  gos- 
pel, and  was  loyal  to  it;  he  knew  man,  and  loved 
him;  and  God  had  been  lavish  in  his  gifts  as  a 
preacher.  A  single  sermon  is  all  that  we  can  give. 
It  was  delivered  at  Crab  Orchard,  Kentucky,  at  a 
meeting  of  the  Tate  Creek  Association.  The  house 
was  so  crowded  that  business  could  not  be  trans- 
acted, and  Jacob  Creath  suggested  that  some  one 
preach  to  the  overflow  in  the  grove.  Two  men 
tried,  but  they  could  not  hold  the  people,  and  they 
were  beginning  to  disperse.  Smith  was  urged  to 
speak.  He  arose  and  faced  the  restless  multitude 
which  was  rapidly  leaving  the  stand,  and  his  first 
work  was  to  stop  them.  Raising  his  rich,  mellow 
voice  so  that  all  could  hear,  he  said:  "Stay,  friends, 
and  hear  what  the  great  Augustine  said.  Augus- 


214 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


tine  wished  to  see  three  things  before  he  died: 
Rome  in  her  glory,  Paul  on  Mars'  Hill,  and  Jesus 
in  the  flesh."   A  few  sat  down,  but  many  moved  on. 

In  louder  tones  he  cried :  "Will  you  not  stay  and 
hear  what  the  great  Cato  said:  Cato  repented 
of  three  things  before  his  death:  first,  that  he  had 
ever  spent  an  idle  day;  second,  that  he  had  ever 
gone  on  a  voyage  by  water  when  he  might  have 
made  the  same  journey  by  land;  and,  third,  that 
he  had  ever  told  the  secrets  of  his  bosom  to  a 
woman."    Many  more  were  seated. 

But  he  continued:  "Come,  friends,  and  hear 
what  the  great  Thales  thanked  the  gods  for. 
Thales  thanked  the  gods  for  three  things:  first, 
that  he  was  endowed  with  reason,  and  was  not  a 
brute;  second,  that  he  was  a  Greek,  and  not  a 
Barbarian;  and,  third,  that  he  was  a  man,  and  not 
a  woman."  By  this  time  all  were  seated  and  the 
sermon  began. 

His  theme  was  redemption.  His  text  was  Ps. 
3:9:  "He  sent  redemption  to  his  people ;  he  hath 
commanded  his  covenant  for  ever;  holy  and  rever- 
end is  his  name."  His  analysis  was  threefold: 
(1)  Redemption  as  conceived;  (2)  redemption  as 
applied;  (3)  redemption  as  completed.  He  seemed 
inspired  for  the  occasion.  His  voice  like  a  trumpet 
reached  and  thrilled  the  most  distant  hearer,  and  his 
thought  swept  the  audience  like  a  storm  sweeps 
the  sea.  The  people  crowded  closer  to  hear  him, 
and  some  who  could  find  neither  sitting  nor  stand- 
ing room,  climbed  the  trees,  so  that  even  the  forest 
swayed  to  and  fro  as  if  under  the  magic  spell  of 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


215 


the  mighty  preacher.  And  when  he  reached  his 
climax  in  the  third  division,  and  portrayed  the  final 
glory  of  the  redeemed,  every  heart  was  filled  with 
emotion,  every  eye  swam  in  tears  of  joy,  every 
face  was  radiant  with  hope,  and  at  the  close  one 
loud  "Amen"  ascended  into  the  heavens. 

i.  Our  Daniel  Boone.  Next  to  Campbell  and 
Stone,  John  Smith  did  more  for  primitive  Chris- 
tianity in  Kentucky  than  any  other  man.  Grafton 
pays  him  a  true  and  graceful  tribute  when  he  says: 
"John  Smith  was  a  typical  pioneer.  What  Daniel 
Boone  and  David  Crockett  were  to  the  early  social 
and  political  life  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  John 
Smith  was  to  religious  society  of  that  period."  He 
died  February  28,  1868. 

a.  Man  of  Providence.  Mr. 
3.  Isaac  Errett  «  . 

*  Errett,     by     common  consent, 

stands  in  the  front  rank  as  a  preacher  and  writer 
of  the  Restoration  Movement.  He  reached  this 
position  early,  and  maintained  it  throughout  a  long 
and  brilliant  life.  By  many  he  is  regarded  as  the 
Joshua  who  took  up  the  work  of  Alexander  Camp- 
bell, our  Moses ;  or  the  Elisha  upox.  whose  shoulders 
the  mantle  of  our  Elijah  fell.  They  think  that,  like 
Esther,  he  came  to  the  throne  for  a  special  work, 
and,  like  that  beautiful  and  brave  queen,  he  did  it 
nobly  and  well. 

b.  Early  Life.  Henry  Errett,  his  father,  was 
an  Irishman,  and  his  mother  was  an  Englishwoman. 
They  came  to  New  York  about  the  time  the 
Campbells  began  their  work  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
were  among  the  firstfruits  of  the  work  in  the 


216 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


great  metropolis,  the  father  being  an  elder  in  the 
first  church  of  that  city.  Isaac  was  born  January 
2,  1820.  The  father  died  five  years  later,  leaving 
the  training  of  the  son  to  the  mother.  In  his 
twelfth  year  he  became  a  Christian,  and  when  he 
did  so,  like  Andrew,  he  sought  his  older  brother, 
Russell,  and  the  two  were  baptized  together  by 
Robert  McLaren,  an  elder  of  the  church  in  Pitts- 
burgh, where  the  family  was  then  living.  His 
educational  advantages  were  poor,  but,  being  bright 
and  ambitious,  he  made  the  best  of  them.  He 
became  a  printer,  and  before  he  was  seventeen 
years  old  was  tendered  the  position  of  editor  of  the 
paper  on  which  he  was  working.  But  he  declined 
the  honor,  and  became  a  teacher.  Neither  did  this 
suit  him;  and  so  in  1840  he  became  a  preacher, 
beginning  in  his  twentieth  year.  He  soon  attained 
distinction,  and  was  called  to  places  of  honor  and 
responsibility  by  his  brethren.  He  preached  for 
the  churches  at  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania;  North 
Bloomfield,  Warren  and  New  Lisbon,  Ohio,  and 
at  Muir,  Ionia  and  Detroit,  Michigan.  He  was 
corresponding  secretary,  first  for  Ohio,  and  after- 
wards for  the  American  Christian  Missionary  So- 
ciety. In  1873  he  urged  the  beginning  of  work  in 
the  foreign  field ;  but  the  brethren  were  slow  to  act, 
and  while  they  were  waiting,  he  turned  to  the 
women  and  helped  them  to  launch  their  great  work 
in  1874.  The  men,  stimulated  by  this  example, 
organized  the  Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society 
one  year  later,  with  Mr.  Errett  as  president,  which 
position  he  held  until  his  death. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


217 


c.  Editor  of  "Christian  Standard."  But  Mr. 
Errett  never  found  the  special  work  for  which  the 
Lord  raised  him  up  until  1865,  when  he  became 
editor  of  the  Christian  Standard.  As  an  eagle 
among  the  clouds,  he  was  now  in  his  proper  atmos- 
phere. The  editorial  chair,  rather  than  the  pulpit, 
was  his  throne.  Though  a  great  preacher,  it  was 
as  a  writer  that  he  exerted  his  widest  influence. 
Horace  Greeley  was  not  more  naturally  an  editor 
than  was  Isaac  Errett.  Grafton  says  he  "possessed 
an  innate  genius  for  editorship,  a  sixth  sense  by 
which  he  discerned  the  people's  needs."  Alexander 
Campbell  had  necessarily  given  his  life  and  energies 
to  truth  as  truth,  and  Isaac  Errett  was  needed  to 
give  his  to  this  truth  in  its  relation  to  human  needs. 
The  one  had  rediscovered  a  mine  of  rarest  wealth, 
and  the  other  was  to  develop  this  mine  for  the  good 
of  man. 

d.  He  Was  a  Good  Man.  Like  Barnabas,  he 
was  "a  good  man,  and  full  of  the  Holy  Spirit," 
and,  like  Enoch,  he  "walked  with  God."  Jesus 
Christ  was  supreme  in  his  life,  and  he  strove  day 
by  day  to  be  a  loyal  and  loving  subject.  The 
heroes  who  stood  with  the  Campbells  in  the  early 
days  were  men  of  deep  personal  pity,  and  so  were 
most  of  those  of  the  later  days,  but  not  all.  A 
few  were  so  absorbed  in  the  intellectual  side  of 
the  plea  that  they  failed  to  come  in  close  touch 
with  its  spiritual  significance.  To  all  such  Mr. 
Errett's  life  was  both  a  rebuke  and  an  example. 
"He  was  great  in  his  goodness,  and  good  in  his 
greatness." 


218 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


e.  He  Was  a  Man  of  Courage.  When  he 
began  his  leadership,  extreme  conservatism  and 
extreme  radicalism,  like  two  robbers,  crouched  on 
either  side  of  his  pathway,  and  threatened  his  prog- 
ress, and  he  was  always  under  the  fire  of  one  or 
the  other,  and  often  under  both.  But,  like  a  kite 
struggling  with  a  contrary  wind,  he  rose  higher 
and  soared  more  grandly  because  of  opposition. 
But,  besides  these  enemies  from  within,  he  had 
to  meet  those  from  without.  After  the  death  of 
Mr.  Campbell  many  of  these  prophesied  that  his 
work  would  speedily  fail ;  and  they  bent  their 
every  energy  to  bring  to  pass  the  fulfillment  of  the 
prophecy.  While  the  battle  was  on  he  was  always 
in  the  forefront;  but  when  it  was  over  and  the 
victory  won  he  was  ever  ready  to  treat  with 
clemency  his  former  foes. 

/.  He  Was  an  Ideal  Leader.  Leaders,  like 
poets,  are  born,  not  made.  When  Mr.  Errett  came 
into  prominence  and  went  to  the  wheel  the  sea  was 
stormy,  and  there  were  dangers  on  every  hand. 
But  with  a  clear  vision  and  steady  nerve,  and  with 
the  spirit  of  a  true  pilot,  he  guided  the  ship  safely 
to  port.  In  this  work  he  reminds  one  of  Paul  as 
he  rescued  the  infant  Church  from  the  Judaizing 
teachers  and  blind  bigots  of  the  first  century.  His 
special  mission  was  to  maintain  the  integrity  of  the 
plea  of  the  Campbells,  and  hold  the  Restoration 
Movement  to  its  original  purpose ;  and  for  a  quarter 
of  a  century  he  did  it  most  nobly. 

In  the  controversies  over  the  music  question,  the 
communion  question,  and  the  question  of  slavery,  he 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


219 


showed  himself  a  masterful  leader  and  sane  coun- 
selor. 

This  is  seen  again  on  the  union  question.  Let 
it  not  be  forgotten  that  his  was  not  the  work  of 
construction,  but  interpretation.  Mr.  Campbell  had 
done  the  former,  and  he  was  to  do  the  latter.  He 
was  to  see  the  plea  in  its  entirety:  not  only  in 
form,  but  in  spirit;  not  only  as  a  theory,  but  as  a 
practice.  The  plea  for  union  was  not  the  union 
of  the  Bible,  but  a  pseudo-union  which  would  not 
disturb  denominationalism.  It  was  seen  in  union 
revivals  where  it  was  regarded  sectarian  to  give  in 
the  language  of  the  Apostles  their  answers  to 
inquiring  sinners  seeking  the  way  of  the  Lord.  The 
voice  of  the  Bible  was  to  be  suppressed  whenever 
that  voice  clashed  with  the  popular  views  of  Chris- 
tendom. Mr.  Errett  kindly  but  firmly  replied :  "Be 
as  liberal  as  you  please  with  what  is  your  own,  but 
be  careful  how  you  give  away  what  is  not  yours, 
but  God's.  There  is  nothing  that  is  merely  human 
which  we  ought  not  to  surrender,  if  need  be,  for 
the  sake  of  union,  but  we  can  not  yield  God's  com- 
mands." 

g.  Defender  of  the  Faith.  The  same  pres- 
sure was  brought  to  bear  from  another  angle. 
Some  of  his  own  brethren  urged  that  he  was  nar- 
row, exclusive  and  uncharitable,  and  thus  hindering 
the  plea.  They  intimated  that  the  baptismal  ques- 
tion should  be  ignored,  and  the  pious  unimmersed 
should  be  received  into  full  fellowship.  His  answer 
was: 

"We  are  responsible  for  the  way  we  deal  with 


22C 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


God's  truth,  but  not  for  the  results  of  faithfulness 
to  our  convictions.  But  we  wish  to  say  with  all 
emphasis  that  we  believe  this  to  be  a  mistake.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  plea  of  the  Campbells  for 
union,  it  was  unembarrassed  by  any  of  this  so-called 
exclusiveness.  They  were  Presbyterians.  They 
sought  the  union  of  professed  Christians  without 
regard  to  immersion,  and  without  the  rejection  of 
infant  baptism.  Their  effort  nas  a  signal  failure. 
The  dear  pious  people,  who  were  so  eulogized  for 
superior  spiritual  worth,  and  pronounced  to  be  so 
'loyal  in  heart  and  purpose,'  turned  a  deaf  ear  to 
the  plea  for  union.  .  .  .  But  after  the  champions  of 
this  movement  were  led  to  surrender  infant  mem- 
bership and  affusion,  and  planted  themselves  on  the 
ground  we  now  occupy,  their  plea  began  at  once  to 
assert  great  power,  and  within  fifty  years  has  met 
with  a  success  that  has  hardly  a  parallel  in  religious 
movements.  We  have  no  reason,  even  on  the 
ground  of  expediency,  to  change  our  ground.  We 
therefore  say  to  our  brethren,  in  view  of  every  con- 
sideration of  truth,  consistency,  charity  and  expe- 
diency, stand  firm;  diminish  not  a  word.  As  the 
grounds  of  difference  are  narrowed,  there  will  be 
strong  efforts,  under  the  plea  of  charity,  to  bring 
about  a  surrender  of  gospel  teaching  concerning 
baptism.  Pedobaptists  are  bent  on  forcing  this 
issue.  In  vain  we  tell  them  that  they  can  easily, 
without  a  surrender  of  conscience,  agree  to  that 
which  they  and  we  alike  accept  as  valid  baptism. 
This  is  scouted  by  them.  They  are  bent  on  classify- 
ing baptism  with  things  indifferent. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


221 


"We  will  yield  to  the  prejudices  and  preferences 
of  any  and  all,  and  sacrifice  all  cherished  habits, 
tastes  and  expediencies.  But  in  regard  to  the  faith 
and  practice  revealed  in  the  New  Testament,  we 
must  be  sternly  uncompromising.  If  the  battle  must 
come  on  this  question  of  baptism,  there  we  shall 
stand  on  apostolic  ground,  and  repeat,  day  and 
night,  without  ceasing,  'One  Lord,  one  faith,  one 
baptism.'  " 

Thus  for  twenty-five  years  of  the  most  critical 
history  of  the  Restoration  Movement,  Mr.  Errett, 
its  recognized  leader,  with  pen  and  tongue,  held  it 
to  the  open  sea;  and  we  are  largely  indebted  to  him 
for  the  gratifying  fact  that  the  ship  did  not  founder 
upon  the  reefs  of  unscriptural  practices  and  human 
dogmas.  Mr.  Errett  died  December  19,  1888,  in 
his  sixty-ninth  year. 


W.  McGarvey.  He  was  born  in  Hopkinsville, 
Kentucky,  March  1,  1829,  and  died  in  Lexington, 
Kentucky,  October  6,  1911,  in  his  eighty-third 
year.  His  father  was  an  Irishman,  and  came  to 
America  when  a  young  man.  His  mother,  a  Miss 
Thomson,  of  old  Virginia  stock,  was  born  and 
reared  near  Georgetown,  Kentucky. 

b.  In  Bethany  College.  In  1839  the  family 
moved  to  Tremont,  Illinois,  where  the  foundation  of 
his  education  was  well  laid  in  a  local  academy.  In 
April,  1847,  he  entered  the  Freshman  class  of 
Bethany  College,  and  in  July,  1850,  he  graduated, 


4.  John  William 
McGarvey 


a.  Early  Life.  No  man 
among  us  stood  higher,  and  was 
more  generally  trusted,  than  J. 


222 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


as  one  of  the  honor  men,  delivering  the  Greek 
oration.  In  1848  he  gave  his  heart  to  God,  and  was 
baptized  by  Professor  Pendleton,  and  at  once  deter- 
mined to  devote  his  life  to  the  ministry  of  the 
Word. 

c.  Ordination.  The  family  having  removed  to 
Fayette,  Missouri,  he  went  from  Bethany  to  that 
place,  where  he  taught  a  school  for  boys  one  year. 
At  a  call  of  the  Fayette  Church,  he  gave  up  the 
school,  and  in  September,  1851,  was  ordained  as  a 
preacher.  In  1853  he  accepted  the  work  at  Dover, 
Missouri,  where  he  remained  nine  years,  spending 
much  of  his  time  in  extensive  tours  over  the  State. 
He  also  had  five  public  debates  during  this  time. 

d.  To  Lexington,  Kentucky.  In  1862  he 
took  up  the  work  in  Lexington,  Kentucky.  During 
this  year  he  published  his  "Commentary  on  Acts," 
a  work  of  great  merit.  In  1865  he  was  elected 
professor  of  sacred  history  in  the  College  of  the 
Bible  at  Lexington.  After  thirty  years'  service  he 
was  made  president  of  the  college,  which  position  he 
held  to  the  day  of  his  death. 

e.  He  Was  a  Man  of  Courage.  He  was  a  man 
of  convictions,  and  ever  ready  to  enter  the  lists 
against  all  who  would  assail  what  he  believed  to 
be  true.  Had  he  been  born  a  thousand  years  earlier 
he  likely  would  have  been  in  the  vanguard  of  those 
who,  under  Syrian  suns,  were  struggling  to  rescue 
the  sacred  trophies  of  the  cross  from  the  hands  of 
infidels.  Or,  if  he  had  lived  in  the  first  century,  he 
would  likely  have  stood  arm  in  arm  and  heart  to 
heart  with  Peter  and  Paul  in  the  earlier  battles  of 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


223 


the  faith.  Paul's  description  of  the  Christian  sol- 
dier (Eph.  6:11-19)  was  never  more  faithfully 
illustrated  than  in  himself,  in  Martin  Luther,  and 
in  Pres.  J.  W.  McGarvey.  His  courage  was  not 
that  of  the  coarse  bully,  as  some  have  thought,  but 
it  was  the  courage  of  a  calm  and  conscientious  hero, 
in  perfect  equipoise,  responding  to  the  stern  call  of 
battle.  "If  I  were  floating  on  a  plank  in  mid- 
ocean,"  he  said,  "and  a  man  should  try  to  take  it 
from  me,  I  would  fight  for  my  life." 

/.  He  Was  an  Eminent  Bible  Critic.  He 
stood  like  a  mighty  Gibraltar  against  the  waves  of 
destructive  criticism,  and  saved  the  Book  from  their 
furious  onslaughts.  But  for  the  work  of  this 
sturdy  man,  whom  no  considerations  could  swerve 
a  hairbreadth,  what  might  have  been  our  condi- 
tion to-day?  He  waded  through  volumes  of  intri- 
cate study,  and  familiarized  himself  with  every 
phase  of  German  philosophy,  that  he  might  know 
both  sides  of  the  question.  During  this  investiga- 
tion, embracing  the  period  between  his  sixtieth  and 
seventy-fifth  year,  when  many  feel  that  it  is  time 
to  sheathe  the  sword  and  turn  over  the  fight  to 
others,  he  would  often  come  from  his  study, 
stretch  his  arms,  take  a  deep  breath  and  exclaim, 
"I  feel  as  though  I  had  been  in  a  struggle  with  a 
mighty  giant!"  And  the  time  is  not  distant  when 
the  entire  religious  world  will  honor  him  as  the 
leading  defender  of  the  faith.  From  1893  to  1911 
he  conducted  a  department  in  the  Christian  Stand- 
ard, "Biblical  Criticism,"  which  has  been  of  great 
value. 


224 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


g.  He  Was  a  Strong  Preacher.  Who  that 
ever  heard  him  will  ever  forget  his  sermons?  After 
spending  the  week  in  his  classroom  one  would  think 
his  students  would  want  to  hear  some  one  else  on 
the  Lord's  Day;  but  not  so.  In  the  large  dining- 
room  where  most  of  the  young  preachers  boarded, 
this  question  came  up  every  Sunday  morning: 
"Where  are  you  going  to  church  to-day?"  And  the 
answer  usually  was:  "If  I  knew  Lard  would  be  on 
his  high  horse  [Moses  E.  Lard  was  preaching  at 
Main  Street  and  McGarvey  at  Broadway],  I  would 
go  to  Main  Street;  but  as  there  is  doubt  about  this, 
I  will  go  to  Broadway,  for  'Little  Mac'  never  disap- 
points us."  When  Lard  was  at  himself,  he  was  a 
powerful  preacher;  but,  like  all  men  of  moods,  he 
was  not  always  "at  himself";  but  McGarvey,  while 
he  often  preached  great  sermons,  never  fell  below 
a  lofty  level.  His  sermons  were  not  ornate,  but 
they  were  lucid  unfoldings  of  the  Book.  They 
flooded  man's  way  with  light,  and  inspired  him  to 
walk  in  it.  His  language  was  simple  enough  for  a 
primer,  and  his  sentences  were  condensed  like  tele- 
grams.   He  was  easy  to  hear  and  hard  to  forget. 

h.  He  Was  a  Forceful  Writer.  He  was  con- 
cise and  clear.  He  said  what  he  meant,  and  meant 
what  he  said.  One  might  not  agree  with  him,  but 
he  never  misunderstood  him.  He  often  used  a 
sharp  pen,  and  woe  to  the  antagonist  who  got  in 
his  way.  He  wrote  voluminously,  and  was  always 
read.  His  books  are  standards  as  expositions  of 
the  Scriptures,  and  as  a  defense  of  the  Book  against 
infidel  criticism. 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


225 


t.  But  He  Was  Pre-eminently  a  Bible 
Teacher.  Here  he  did  his  greatest  work.  The 
classroom  was  his  throne,  and  never  did  a  king 
reign  more  naturally,  more  royally  and  more  profit- 
ably than  did  he.  He  knew  what  he  taught,  and 
taught  what  he  knew.  There  was  nothing  hazy 
about  him.  He  never  left  the  student  dangling  in 
the  air,  and  wondering  what  he  meant.  He  placed 
his  feet  upon  a  rock  and  made  him  feel  that  his 
foundation  was  sure.  When,  in  death,  he  met  his 
Master,  he  could  safely  say,  "I  never  weakened  the 
faith  of  any  young  man  entrusted  to  me." 

His  knowledge  of  the  Bible  was  wonderful.  As 
one  of  the  many  students  who  sat  at  his  feet,  this 
writer  can  say  that  he  never  heard  him  read  a  les- 
son in  the  classroom,  either  from  the  Old  Testament 
or  the  New:  he  always  recited  the  Scriptures.  He 
seemed  to  know  them  "by  heart."  When  he  visited 
the  Holy  Land  he  kept  ahead  of  his  guide,  and 
often  knew  locations  better  than  he.  As  a  Bible 
student,  both  in  general  and  detailed  knowledge, 
perhaps  he  has  had  no  peer  since  the  days  of  inspira- 
tion. The  London  Times  said:  "In  all  probability 
John  W.  McGarvey  is  the  ripest  Bible  scholar  on 
earth." 

And  behold  the  result:  His  students,  famous  for 
their  loyalty  to  the  Lord  and  usefulness  in  his  King- 
dom, are  found  in  every  land,  telling  the  "Old,  Old 
Story" ;  and  though  their  teacher  rests  from  his 
labors,  his  works  do  follow  him. 

Brother  McGarvey  died  in  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
October  6,  1911,  in  his  eighty-third  year. 
15 


226  HOW  THE  DISCIPLES  BEGAN  AND  GREW 


Questions. 

1.  Sketch  the  early  life  of  Scott. 

2.  Give  Richardson's  contrast  of  Scott  and 
Campbell. 

3.  Give  Baxter's  contrast  of  Scott  and  Camp- 
bell. 

4.  What  was  his  favorite  theme? 

5.  Was  it  Stone  or  Scott  who  shaped  our 
evangelism  ? 

6.  What  was  his  true  element? 

7.  Sketch  Smith's  early  life. 

8.  Tell  of  the  death  of  his  wife  and  children, 
and  the  effect  on  his  life. 

9.  Tell  of  his  wonderful  work. 

10.  What  did  Grafton  say  about  him? 

11.  Tell  of  his  great  sermon. 

12.  Sketch  the  early  life  of  Errett. 

13.  Give  three  strong  elements  of  his  character. 

14.  Describe  him  as  a  defender  of  the  faith. 

15.  Sketch  the  early  life  of  McGarvey. 

16.  Give  five  characteristic  elements  of  his 
character. 


XII. 

RETROSPECT,  PROSPECT, 
DANGERS  AND  DUTIES 


IG 


227 


OUTLINE— CHAPTER  XII. 

1.  Retrospect. 

a.  Proper  Division  of  the  Bible. 

b.  Deity  of  Jesus. 

c.  Faith  and  Opinion. 

d.  Faith  Not  Doctrinal,  but  Personal. 

e.  Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice. 
/.  Conversion. 

g.  Bible  Names. 

h.  The  Holy  Spirit. 

i.  Restoration  of  Ordinances. 
Bible  Schools. 

k.  Christian  Union. 
/.  Evangelism. 

2.  Prospect. 

a.  Wonderful  Century. 

b.  Picture. 

3.  Dangers. 

a.  Crystallization. 

b.  Compromise. 

c.  False  Tests  of  Fellowship. 

d.  Ignoring  True  Tests  of  Fellowship. 

e.  The  Childless  Church. 

4.  Duties. 

a.  Advertisement. 

b.  Indoctrination. 

c.  Co-operation. 

d.  Consecration. 

e.  Loyalty. 

22S 


XII. 


Retrospect,  Prospect,  Dangers  and  Duties. 

A  people  who  can  grow  from  0  to  1,500,000 
adult  communicants  in  a  single  century,  and  that  the 
nineteenth,  must  be  of  interest  to  those  who  would 
know  the  causes  back  of  large  results.  Perhaps 
there  has  been  no  such  growth  since  the  apostolic 
age.  What  is  the  principle  permeating  this  growth? 
And  what  are  the  points  emphasized  by  the  work- 
ers? And  what  is  the  outlook  for  the  future?  Let 
us  devote  this  closing  chapter  to  a  twofold  review — 
retrospective  and  prospective — that  we  may  be  able 
to  answer  these  questions. 

The   principle   involved  was 
i.  Retrospect       Qne   Q£   ^    loftiest   that  ever 

animated  men:  it  was  an  unselfish  attempt  to 
restore  primitive  Christianity.  At  great  cost,  and 
with  no  material  reward  in  view,  these  brave  men, 
despite  the  greatest  difficulties,  began  the  search  for 
the  old  paths.  They  would  see  just  where  Christ 
and  his  Apostles  trod,  and,  faithfully  following  their 
footprints,  they  would  give  to  the  world  of  to-day 
the  Church  of  the  first  century. 

The  points  emphasized  in  their  search  were 
numerous  and  vital.    The  principal  ones  were: 

a.  The  Proper  Division  of  the  Bible.  The 
main  slogan  of  these  old  path-seekers  was,  "Where 

229 


230 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


the  Bible  speaks,  we  speak;  where  the  Bible  is 
silent,  we  are  silent,"  and  never  were  men  more 
faithful  to  a  motto.  With  them  what  the  Bible 
said  was  infinitely  more  important  than  what  men 
said  about  the  Bible.  They  longed  for  new  light, 
and  when  it  came  they  welcomed  it  and  walked  in 
it.  Mr.  Campbell's  fine  figure,  representing  the 
Patriarchal  age  as  the  starlight,  the  Jewish  age  as 
the  moonlight,  and  the  Christian  age  as  the  sun- 
light, has  been  invaluable,  not  only  to  his  own 
followers,  but  also  to  the  religious  world  at  large. 
The  old  Book  was  a  tangled  skein  until  they 
discovered  this  clue.  The  New  Testament  was 
fourfold  in  its  divisions :  The  first  four  books  were 
history,  and  told  about  the  Christ;  the  fifth  was 
the  book  of  conversions,  and  told  the  sinner  how  to 
appropriate  the  Saviour;  the  twenty-one  Epistles 
were  addressed  to  Christians,  and  told  them  how 
to  live  for  the  Christ;  and  the  last  book  was 
prophetic,  and  told  of  the  reward  in  store  for  those 
who  were  faithful  to  the  end. 

b.  The  Deity  of  Jesus.  In  the  study  of  the 
Book  they  soon  saw  that  Christ  was  its  center.  He 
was  to  the  spiritual  universe  what  the  sun  was  to 
the  material  world — the  center  around  which  all 
lesser  lights  revolved,  and  from  which  they  received 
their  light.  Christianity  was  to  be  distinctly  Christ- 
ocentric.  At  that  time  the  Church  was  credocen- 
tric,  for  a  man's  standing  in  the  Church  depended 
far  more  on  his  acceptance  of  the  creed  than  on 
his  loyalty  to  the  Lord. 

c.  Faith  and  Opinion.   The  difference  between 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


231 


faith  and  opinion  was  clearly  shown  and  strongly 
emphasized.  Salvation  was  a  matter  of  faith  and 
rested  on  facts,  and  not  a  matter  of  speculations 
concerning  these  facts.  In  the  realm  of  opinion 
men  had  the  largest  possible  liberty,  but  in  faith 
they  were  to  be  one. 

d.  Faith  Not  Doctrinal,  but  Personal.  On 
this  vital  point  these  men  stood  alone  in  their  day. 
With  them  it  was  a  personal  Saviour  for  a  personal 
sinner.  Men  were  not  to  believe  in  faith,  repent- 
ance or  baptism — true  dogmas  regarding  the  Christ 
— but  they  were  to  believe  in  the  Christ,  and  do 
these  things  because  he  commanded  them.  When 
the  soldier  believes  in  his  leader,  he  will  obey, 
whether  he  understands  him  or  not. 

e.  Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  The  substi- 
tution of  the  Scriptures  for  all  human  confessions 
of  faith,  as  the  true  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  was 
one  of  the  wisest  things  done  by  these  pioneers. 
They  were  not  opposed  to  publishing  their  views  on 
all  important  questions.  Mr.  Campbell  did  much 
work  of  this  kind  in  the  Christian  Baptist,  the 
Harbinger,  and  in  the  "Christian  System,"  but  these 
publications  were  never  regarded  as  a  creed  or  a 
confession  of  faith.  The  Bible,  and  the  Bible  alone, 
was  the  only  and  all-sufficient  rule  of  faith  and 
practice. 

/.  Conversion.  The  darkness  surrounding  this 
question  one  hundred  years  ago  can  hardly  be  imag- 
ined to-day.  Every  conversion  was  a  miracle. 
Man  was  totally  depraved,  and  could  not  think  a 
good  thought,  or  do  a  good  deed.    Calvinism  in  its 


232 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


extreme  form  had  paralyzed  men.  The  Bible  was 
a  good  book,  but  it  was  a  "dead  letter"  until  made 
alive  by  the  miraculous  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit; 
just  as  the  heart  of  the  sinner  could  not  act  until 
energized  by  this  same  power.  But  these  true 
teachers  taught  that  in  conversion  we  are  active,  not 
passive,  and  that  we  turn  to  God,  which  is  con- 
version, or  refuse  to  turn,  not  because  of  inability, 
or  because  of  the  presence  or  absence  of  miraculous 
power,  but  because  of  our  own  choice  in  the  matter. 

g.  Bible  Names  for  Bible  Things.  It  is  well 
known  that  our  fiercest  disputes  about  Christianity 
are  about  what  the  Bible  does  not  say,  rather  than 
about  what  it  does  say.  Few  things  are  more  essen- 
tial to  the  restoration  of  the  primitive  faith  than 
pure  speech.  So  long  as  the  earth  had  one  speech, 
men  were  united.  Knowing  this,  these  men  rejected 
the  language  of  Ashdod  and  chose  that  of  Canaan. 
They  were  suspicious  that  if  the  word  was  not  in 
the  Bible,  the  idea  it  represented  was  not  there. 
Therefore,  they  had  as  little  as  possible  to  do  with 
the  jargon  of  speculative  theology,  and  plead  for 
Bible  words  for  Bible  ideas. 

h.  The  Holy  Spirit.  On  this  deep  question 
dogmatism  and  speculation  gave  place  to  caution 
and  reverence.  It  was  argued  that  the  work  of  the 
Spirit  was  specially  the  work  of  God,  and  he 
would  attend  to  that  whether  we  understood  it  or 
not.  It  was  also  contended  that  in  conversion  the 
Spirit  operated  through  the  Word,  and  that  after 
conversion  he  took  up  his  abode  in  the  heart.  Mr. 
Campbell  says:  "We  can  not  separate  the  Spirit 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


233 


and  Word  of  God,  and  ascribe  so  much  power  to 
the  one  and  so  much  to  the  other;  for  so  did  not 
the  Apostles.  Whatever  the  Word  does,  the  Spirit 
does;  and  whatever  the  Spirit  does  in  the  work  of 
converting  men,  the  Word  does.  We  neither 
believe  nor  teach  abstract  Spirit  nor  abstract  Word 
— but  Word  and  Spirit,  Spirit  and  Word."  The 
Spirit  was  not  a  command  to  be  preached,  but  a 
promise  to  be  received. 

t.  Restoration  of  the  Ordinances.  In  the 
restoration  of  the  two  New  Testament  ordinances — 
Baptism  and  the  Supper — great  good  was  accom- 
plished. Both  were  simple  and  significant.  As  it 
is  the  fate  of  men  to  die,  be  buried,  and  rise  again, 
so  the  first  ordinance  shows  that  the  figuratively 
dead  man — dead  to  his  past  sins — is  buried  in  a 
symbolic  grave,  and  is  raised  again  to  walk  in  the 
newness  of  life.  The  second  ordinance  is  the  cen- 
tral thought  in  the  worship  on  the  Lord's  Day,  and 
keeps  fresh  in  the  mind  the  great  cost  of  our  salva- 
tion. God  would  have  us  not  only  hear  the  truth, 
but  see  it. 

/.  Bible  Schools.  In  1849,  when  the  American 
Christian  Missionary  Society  was  organized,  A.  S. 
Hayden  and  Isaac  Errett  issued  an  appeal  in  the 
interest  of  Bible  schools,  and  the  Convention 
appointed  a  committee  to  look  after  the  work.  The 
growth  has  been  marvelous  and  the  enthusiasm  con- 
tagious, so  that  all  the  churches  have  felt  its 
power  and  shared  its  blessings.  Great  schools,  thor- 
oughly organized,  and  equipped  with  the  best  liter- 
ature, are  now  the  order  of  the  day.   The  school  at 


234 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


Canton,  Ohio,  led  by  P.  H.  Welshimer,  is  at  the  head 
of  the  procession,  and  is  known  the  world  over. 

k.  Christian  Union.  An  attempt  to  restore 
the  Apostolic  Church  necessarily  involved  the  plea 
for  union,  for  that  Church  was  united.  The 
Saviour  taught  and  prayed  for  the  union  of  his  fol- 
lowers, and  the  Apostles  preached  and  practiced  it. 
The  Restoration  Movement  began  as  a  protest 
against  division,  and  its  great  battles  and  splendid 
victories  have  been  fought  and  won  under  this 
banner.  "United  we  stand,  divided  we  fall,"  is  a 
maxim  not  less  true  in  religion  than  in  the  family 
and  the  nation.  "We  must  all  hang  together,  or 
we  will  all  hang  separately,"  said  one  of  the  signers 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

/.  Evangelism.  No  people  since  the  days  of 
inspiration  ever  so  stressed  evangelism  as  did  our 
fathers.  They  looked  upon  the  sinner  as  a  man 
overboard  at  sea,  and  the  gospel  as  the  lifeboat,  and 
his  only  hope,  and  with  all  possible  power  they 
went  to  his  rescue.  They  urged  him  not  to  wait 
for  some  additional  power,  for  the  lifeboat  was 
sufficient,  and  not  to  strive  to  make  themselves 
better,  for  Christ  came  to  seek  and  save  the  lost. 
Such  a  message  aroused  hope  in  the  heart  of  the 
sinner,  and  lent  lightness  to  the  feet  and  eloquence 
to  the  lips  of  the  preacher,  hence  their  unparalleled 
success.  They  taught  that  in  becoming  a  Christian 
three  great  changes  were  necessary:  a  change  of 
heart  produced  by  faith,  a  change  of  life  produced 
by  repentance,  and  a  change  of  state  or  relationship 
produced  by  baptism.   They  illustrated  this  point  in 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


235 


a  forcible  and  unforgettable  way.  They  compared 
it  to  the  marriage  relation,  with  Christ  as  the  Bride- 
groom and  the  Church  as  the  Bride,  a  figure  now 
so  familiar  as  to  need  no  explanation. 

Looking  back  over  the  past,  we  see  that  these 
twelve  points  received  special  emphasis  at  the 
hands  of  the  workers. 

a.     Wonderful  Century. 

2.  Prospect  "Watchman,  what  of  the  night?" 
is  an  Old  Testament  query  as  pertinent  to-day  as 
when  it  was  first  uttered;  and  the  answer  from  the 
pen  of  the  poet  is  as  true  as  it  is  beautiful: 

"Out  of  the  shadows  of  night 
The  world  is  rolling  into  light; 
It  is  daybreak  everywhere." 

Jehovah  has  wrought  wonders  during  the  cen- 
tury including  the  history  of  this  Restoration  Move- 
ment. He  has  almost  made  the  world  over. 
Nature's  forces  have  been  discovered  and  brought 
from  their  hiding-places  and  harnessed  in  the  serv- 
ice of  man.  In  the  social,  scientific,  educational 
and  political  spheres  he  has  turned  the  world 
upside  down.  And  Christianity  has  kept  pace  with 
these  onward  strides.  Never  was  the  presence  of 
our  King  more  manifest,  and  never  were  his  state- 
ly steppings  more  royal  and  grand.  Let  us  look  for 
a  moment  on  one  of  the  many  illustrations  of  this 
glorious  procession: 

b.  Picture.  At  the  beginning  of  the  century 
we  behold  one  lone  man  in  an  "upper  room,,  in 
the  house  of  a  modest  farmer — Mr.  Welch — near 
Washington,   Pennsylvania.     This   man,  Thomas 


236 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


Campbell,  a  cultured  and  consecrated  Presbyterian 
preacher,  with  his  heart  bleeding  over  divided 
Christendom,  is  writing  "A  Declaration  and 
Address,"  which  was  submitted  to  a  group  of  sym- 
pathizing friends  in  a  rural  community.  They  liked 
it;  and  on  September  7,  1808,  they  decided  to  pub- 
lish it  to  the  world.  It  proved  to  be  good  seed  in 
good  soil,  and  has  yielded  a  harvest  of  which  only 
our  God  could  be  the  author.  On  May  4,  1811, 
Brush  Run  Church — literally  a  church  in  the  wilder- 
ness— was  organized  with  thirty  members.  This 
little  band  has  grown  wonderfully.  They  have  out- 
stripped their  religious  neighbors,  though  old,  rich, 
strong,  and  well  organized.  Since  1850  five  of  the 
leading  Protestant  bodies  have  increased  less  than 
fivefold,  but  these  have  increased  tenfold,  and  now 
have  nine  thousand  preachers,  thirteen  thousand 
churches,  and  more  than  a  million  and  a  half  mem- 
bers. And  within  the  last  year  it  has  been  dis- 
covered that  in  Russia  and  Germany  there  are  one 
hundred  thousand,  unknown  before,  who  stand 
with  them  in  their  peculiar  work.  No  such  growth 
has  been  seen  since  the  New  Testament  age.  In 
the  light  of  this  history  may  it  not  be  that  the 
twentieth  century  will  see  primitive  Christianity 
restored,  and  the  whole  world  bowing  at  the  feet 
of  the  Redeemer? 

As  we  look  into  the  future,  our  vision  sub- 
divides itself  into  dangers  and  duties. 

a.  Crystallization.    Since  it 

3.  Dangers         .g  true  tkat  history  often  repeats 

itself,  we  are  now  nearing  a  critical  period  in  our 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


237 


progress.  The  history  of  religious  movements  is 
that  when  about  our  age,  and  often  earlier,  they 
lose  sight  of  their  true  principles,  and  crystallize. 
Lutheranism  is  an  example.  The  fundamental  prin- 
ciples taught  by  Luther,  if  faithfully  followed, 
would  have  restored  the  primitive  Church.  The 
same  is  true  of  other  reformers.  It  becomes  us, 
therefore,  as  students  of  history  and  friends  of  the 
Christ,  to  be  warned  into  safety  by  such  examples. 
Our  message  is  fixed  and  final,  and  adapted  to  all 
ages,  peoples  and  conditions,  but  our  methods  are 
subject  to  change  at  any  time. 

b.  Compromise.  In  Neh.  2:6  is  a  graphic  pic- 
ture of  this  danger.  When  Nehemiah  would  rebuild 
the  walls  of  Jerusalem  he  encountered  determined 
enemies.  They  first  used  force;  and  when  it  failed, 
they  resorted  to  ridicule;  and  when  this  failed,  they 
offered  a  compromise. 

Could  a  parallel  be  more  striking?  Are  we  not 
striving  to  rebuild  spiritual  Jerusalem?  and  have 
we  not  met  similar  opposition?  And  now  that  we 
have  become  numerous  and  strong,  are  we  not 
being  asked  to  compromise  the  principles  of  our 
great  plea?  And,  alas!  is  it  not  true  that  we  have 
among  us  those  who  seem  inclined  to  do  it?  And 
would  not  compromise  be  as  ruinous  now  as  it 
would  have  been  then?  The  compromise  of  truth 
always  and  everywhere  means  sure  and  deserved 
ruin. 

c.  False  Tests  of  Fellowship.  All  Christians 
share  in  common  the  great  salvation  in  Christ. 
They  are  in  fellowship  with  him,  and  should  be 


238 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


in  fellowship  with  each  other.  Therefore  the  terms 
of  salvation  and  the  terms  of  fellowship  should  be 
one  and  the  same.  It  should  not  be  more  difficult 
to  enter  heaven  than  to  enter  the  Church.  Faith 
in  the  Christ  and  obedience  to  him  are  the  condi- 
tions of  salvation,  and  they  are  the  sole  and  suffi- 
cient tests  of  fellowship  among  his  followers. 

In  the  early  Church  there  was  trouble  at  this 
point  (Rom.  14:  1;  1  Cor.  6:  12).  Then  they  per- 
tained to  meats,  drinks  and  ceremonies;  but  now 
they  usually  pertain  to  musical  instruments  in  the 
song  service  and  methods  of  work.  Had  such  ques- 
tions been  made  tests  of  fellowship  then,  the 
Church  would  not  have  been  one;  and  if  we  make 
them  tests  of  fellowship,  we  must  divide.  Conse- 
crated common  sense  and  Christian  love  and  for- 
bearance must  settle  such  questions  in  the  court  of 
expediency. 

A  vital  principle  is  involved  here.  As  the  glory 
of  Christianity  is  in  the  blending  of  justice  and 
mercy,  so  the  glory  of  the  Church  is  in  the  blend- 
ing of  unity  and  freedom.  Catholicism  has  union, 
but  it  has  it  at  the  sacrifice  of  freedom.  We  want 
union,  but  if  we  can  get  it  only  with  the  loss  of 
liberty,  the  price  is  too  great.  But  this  is  not  the 
price.  We  can  have  union  in  faith  and  liberty  in 
opinion;  and  when  we  have  them  as  the  early 
Christians  did,  there  will  be  no  divisions  over  ques- 
tions of  expediency,  and  the  Church  of  that  day 
will  be  reproduced  in  the  Church  of  our  day. 

d.  Ignoring  True  Tests  of  Fellowship.  That 
there  is  real  danger  at  this  point  no  thoughtful  man 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


239 


can  deny.  We  are  being  told  by  a  few  would-be 
liberal  leaders  that  union  can  never  be  brought 
about  by  the  destruction  of  denominationalism,  but 
rather  by  a  broader  and  more  liberal  denomination- 
alism; and  that  we  are  too  narrow  and  legalistic  on 
the  conditions  of  church  membership.  They  grow 
sentimental  in  their  exhortation,  and  tell  us  that  one 
church  is  as  good  as  another;  that  it  really  makes 
no  difference  what  one  believes,  if  only  his  heart  is 
right,  and  that  we  must  not  be  too  tenacious  about 
the  inspiration  of  the  Book,  the  deity  of  the  Lord, 
or  the  miracles  and  ordinances.  They  would  have 
us  abandon  the  plea  which  has  given  us  our  place 
and  power  in  the  world,  and  take  a  position  as  one 
of  the  great  evangelical  denominations  of  Christen- 
dom. We  must  kindly  but  firmly  set  our  faces  like 
flint  against  all  such  teaching,  and  be  true  to  our 
Lord  and  Master,  regardless  of  what  men  think  and 
say  of  us. 

e.  The  Childless  Church.  This  danger  is  not 
peculiar  to  us,  but  it  threatens  all  religious  bodies 
alike.  Our  Bible  schools  are  thronged  by  thousands 
old  enough  to  become  Christians,  who  do  not  attend 
church,  and  are  not  urged  by  their  parents  and 
teachers  to  do  so.  Looking  over  an  average  audi- 
ence, we  see  the  aged,  the  middle-aged,  the  grand- 
parents and  the  parents,  but  not  the  children.  The 
old-fashioned  family  pew,  with  the  whole  family 
in  it,  is  a  thing  of  the  past.  The  Church  of  to-day 
is  a  childless  Church.  And  what  can  we  expect  of 
this  Church  but  as  in  the  case  of  a  childless  fam- 
ily, utter  and  unavoidable  extinction  in  the  near 


240 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


future?  The  school,  the  army  and  the  family  must 
be  constantly  recruited  from  the  young,  or  time  will 
extinguish  them,  and  the  same  is  true  of  the 
Church.  Here  is  a  question  well  worthy  of  the  best 
thought  of  all  who  love  our  Lord :  How  can  we 
induce  the  young  to  attend  the  preaching  and  com- 
munion services  of  the  Church? 

Dmies  a.  Advertisement.    There  is 

4.    u  ies  religious  body  in  the  land,  of 

anything  like  our  proportions,  so  little  known  as 
ours;  and  yet  we  believe  there  is  none  other  which 
the  world  so  much  needs  to  know.  And  the  fault 
for  this  condition  of  things  is  altogether  our  own. 
Our  conduct  here  is  not  only  short-sighted,  but  sin- 
ful. Unitarians,  Adventists  and  Scientists  flood  the 
world  with  free  literature  from  their  best  writers, 
so  that  all  who  desire  knowledge  of  them  can  get 
it  at  their  doors,  and  that  without  money  and  with- 
out price.  Money  wisely  spent  here  would  bring 
large  results. 

b.  Indoctrination.  It  is  said  that  not  more 
than  25  per  cent,  of  our  people  understand  our 
plea.  If  this  is  true,  our  work  can  never  be 
done  without  some  effective  plan  for  the  education 
of  the  other  75  per  cent.  They  must  be  made 
to  understand  it,  or  they  can  not  appreciate  it 
and  work  for  it.  In  our  early  history  this  was 
not  true.  Then  not  less  than  75  per  cent,  under- 
stood it,  and  could  make  others  understand  it.  Our 
preachers  preached  it,  our  Bible-school  teachers 
taught  it,  and  our  papers  published  it.  It  was  a 
common  thing  then  to  find  a  well-worn  copy  of  the 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


241 


New  Testament  in  the  pocket  of  the  lawyer,  the 
doctor,  the  merchant  and  the  farmer,  and  they  were 
able  and  anxious  to  teach  others.  Our  children 
then  were  not  like  the  bright  girl  who,  when  asked 
what  she  believed,  answered,  "I  believe  what  my 
church  believes."  And  when  asked  what  her 
church  believed,  she  said,  "My  church  believes  what 
I  believe."  And  when  asked  what  they  both 
believed,  she  replied,  "We  both  believe  the  same 
thing."  Such  a  girl,  had  her  teachers  done  their 
duty,  would  never  have  been  caught  in  this  embar- 
rassing dilemma. 

c.  Co-operation.  The  fact  that  our  work  is  a 
movement  within  the  Church  for  the  restoration  of 
its  former  unity  should  make  clear  our  relationship 
to  all  who  are  striving  to  serve  the  Lord.  We  are 
not  to  regard  them  as  enemies,  but  as  allies.  Nar- 
row and  bitter  critics  existed  in  the  time  of  Mr. 
Campbell,  as  they  exist  to-day,  and  they  accused 
him  of  compromising  the  truth  by  admitting  that 
there  were  Christians  other  than  those  immediately 
connected  with  his  work.  Replying  to  one  of  these, 
he  said:  "But  who  is  a  Christian?  I  answer, 
every  one  that  believes  in  his  heart  that  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  is  the  Messiah,  the  Son  of  God;  repents 
of  his  sins,  and  obeys  him  in  all  things  according 
to  his  measure  of  knowledge  of  his  will." 

In  the  great  heart  of  this  noble  man  there  was 
room  for  the  appreciation  of  good  wherever  found ; 
and  he  was  ever  ready  to  co-operate  in  every  good 
work,  when  he  could  do  so  without  the  compromise 
of  principle.    Students  struggling  together  in  the 


242 


HOW  THE  DISCIPLES 


same  classes,  and  soldiers  battling  arm  in  arm  on 
the  bloody  field,  form  the  strongest  and  most  tender 
friendships  known  among  men. 

d.  Consecration.  A  people  with  the  best  plea 
in  the  world  ought  to  be  the  best  people  of  the 
world.  As  men  come  in  touch  with  us  they  should 
take  knowledge  of  us  that  we  have  been  with 
Jesus  (Acts  4:  13).  Men  who  dwell  in  a  rose  gar- 
den bear  the  fragrance  out  into  the  highways  on 
their  garments.  Our  doctrine  and  our  devotion 
should  harmonize.  Our  logic  and  our  lives  should 
move  on  a  common  plane.  Our  plea  and  our  prac- 
tice ought  to  be  one.  The  world  is  learning  to  love 
the  plea;  now  we  must  make  it  love  the  people. 
And  when  both  are  loved,  the  walls  of  separation 
will  crumble,  and  the  gates  of  opposition  will  open, 
and  our  King  will  again  come  into  his  own.  Truth 
incarnated  in  a  holy  life  is  the  climax  of  heavenly 
power  (John  8:  46). 

e.  Loyalty.  Unwavering  allegiance  to  our 
Lord  must  characterize  our  every  thought,  word 
and  deed.  We  must  not  live,  but  Christ  must  live 
within  us.  The  question  of  his  greatest  disciple, 
"Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?"  must  be  the 
supreme  question  of  our  lives.  Let  us  see  our 
duty  in  the  light  of  a  picture.  Imagine  a  great 
battle  with  a  million  men  engaged.  The  commander 
has  carefully  surveyed  the  field  and  assigned  to 
each  division  its  place  in  the  struggle.  But  in  the 
course  of  the  long,  hard  conflict  the  lines  were  often 
changed.  Finally,  when  a  lull  comes,  and  he  would 
re-form  these  lines,  he  finds  that  nine-tenths  of  the 


BEGAN  AND  GREW 


243 


army  is  more  or  less  out  of  position.  At  the  center 
— the  key  of  the  position — the  remnant  of  the  one 
hundred  thousand  placed  there  alone  are  in  line. 
The  shattered  columns  must  be  rallied,  and  the 
battle  must  be  renewed,  but  how  shall  it  be  done? 
Must  the  brave  band  at  the  center  be  withdrawn 
and  aligned  with  the  great  masses  who  have  lost 
position?  This  would  be  the  easiest  thing  to  do, 
and,  if  left  to  a  popular  vote  of  the  army,  it 
would  likely  be  done.  But  this  would  mean  ruin. 
The  key  to  the  position  must  be  held  at  all  hazards  ; 
and  so  the  commander  orders  all  to  re-form  on  the 
original  line  at  the  center. 

Even  so  our  Commander  has  selected  the  battle- 
field with  Satan,  and  assigned  to  his  army  its  posi- 
tion. But  in  the  great  struggle  of  two  thousand 
years  there  have  been  many  changes,  and  some  of 
his  bravest  and  best  divisions  are  out  of  line  to-day. 
How  shall  the  army  be  re-formed?  There  is  but 
one  safe  way.  Those  at  the  center  must  not  be 
moved;  but  all  others,  under  the  banner  of  the 
King,  must  line  up  with  those  who  still  occupy  the 
original  line  of  battle.  Because  these  are  few, 
some  will  say  that  the  appeal  for  the  many  to  rally 
around  the  few,  rather  than  for  the  few  to  rally 
around  the  many,  is  unreasonable,  bigoted,  narrow 
and  uncharitable ;  but  these  must  stand  firm.  There 
must  be  no  wavering  and  no  compromise.  They 
must  be  loving,  but  loyal.  The  honor  of  their 
Leader,  the  safety  of  themselves,  and  the  salvation 
of  the  world  are  all  at  stake,  and  they  must  stand 
firm. 


244  HOW  THE  DISCIPLES  BEGAN  AND  GREW 


Questions. 

1.  Has  our  growth  been  remarkable? 

2.  Why  this  remarkable  growth? 

3.  What  are  the  twelve  main  points  emphasized 
by  the  fathers? 

4.  What  can  you  say  of  the  nineteenth  century? 

5.  Tell  us  of  a  lone  picture  at  the  beginning  of 
the  century. 

6.  What  of  the  outlook? 

7.  What  four  dangers  threaten  our  future? 

8.  What  five  duties  stare  us  in  the  face? 

9.  Give  the  military  picture  illustrating  our  place 
and  duty. 


Date  Due 




K  1  t  33 



9 

